


Resistance is Futile

by kirallie



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games), Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Amnesia, Assimilation, Cybernetics, F/M, Multi, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Re-learning to be human, Season/Series 04, Vulcan Mind Melds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:27:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 41,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29675604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirallie/pseuds/kirallie
Summary: Sora vanished right before their eyes and they swore to find him again. Unfortunately for Sora, he appeared in the worse possible place at the worst time and his life would never be the same again.
Comments: 36
Kudos: 37





	1. ch1

_Disclaimer: Don’t own KH or Star Trek Voyager._

_This is why I should not watch any version of Star Trek while also playing KH3. Set s4 of Voyager._

**Resistance is Futile**

Sora managed a smile for Kairi, turning his head as he heard someone call his name, seeing Riku running towards them, hand outstretched. He reached back to Riku, mouth opening to tell him he was sorry, but everything was fading away. He fell, falling forever and ever…through Darkness so cold it sank into his very bones and Light so bright it blinded him to everything.

Something hard slammed into his back and he would have screamed in agony if he could but then mercifully, everything went black.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Alerted by a strange noise, three of them broke off from the main group and made their way across abandoned streets. They stared at the crater, taking readings, before moving into it to find the source. A broken human body lay within and they went to leave, a dead body was of no interest…until it breathed. One approached and bent down mechanically, two thin tubes emerging from its wrist to sink into a slender throat for a few seconds before withdrawing, it then hefted the barely living body up and they walked away to re-join the others.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

There was fire in his blood! He gasped, trying to wake up, to move, something. Flashes of sound and images hit him as his eyes fluttered open and shut. There was sound and movement all around but he was beyond comprehension. He instinctively reached for his magic to heal himself but there was nothing, he’d drained it too low for it to have recovered yet.

He tried to scream as millions of voices seemed to press into his mind. NO!

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

They stared at the body on the table, once tan skin now mottled, veins standing out black as the nanoprobes flowed through, attaching to the red blood cells, circulating through the body. The neural transceiver was completing formation within the body and they would soon add the new drone to the Collective. The nanoprobes were also forming the necessary vocal subprocessor and homing device as well as other components. An implant erupted from the neck, quickly forming and settling into the skin correctly. Seeing that the process was proceeding as normal, they moved in to begin the surgical alterations.

They paused as the new drone was linked to the Collective, it was resisting far more strongly than any member of Species 5618 previously assimilated. A sample was taken and analysed to ensure the species designation was correct, it was. They stared as finally the individuals mind buckled under the force of the Collective, ready to assimilate all of its knowledge, only to find nothing, the specimen was blank. No memory, nothing remained. It did not matter and they began the process of replacing the left limb with a suitable prosthesis even as the body was covered with Exo-plating and the left eye was replaced with the appropriate ocular processing core. Tubing emerged from the Exo-plating to sink into the skull as the hair fell out, further work of the nanoprobes, the skin now greyish white.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

There were too many voices! But they all acted as one, repeating the same words into his head.

_“We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward, you will service us.”_

He could feel them and he was terrified, reaching for help, the Light of his heart surging to his defence, but it wasn’t enough. Distantly he was aware of his body, of pain, of being changed…he was going to lose. He wrapped himself in the Light, everything that made him who he was, every memory, thought, emotion, all of it, and then he let go, sinking deeper and deeper into the Light, into his heart.

A motionless body appeared floating just above a stained glass platform but the glass slowly drained of all colour, the image of the sleeping Sora fading away. He slowly sank into the glass, leaving nothing behind for the voices to take. Everything that made Sora who he was, everything he knew, his power, all of it was locked away where the Collective would never gain access to it, waiting for any opportunity given to re-take control.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The drones stepped back from the table even as one dull blue eye opened, the red laser of the ocular implant coming online, scanning the surroundings automatically. The new drone sat up straight and then got up, following another to the appropriate alcove which it stepped up to, turning so that its back was against the alcove, head resting against the glowing green circle, tubes shifting from the walls to connect to its body as it began the regeneration cycle to ensure perfect synchronisation between cybernetic and organic components, eye closing and body powering down.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku stared at where Sora had been, not even noticing as he collapsed to his knees in the sand until Kairi knelt in front of him, tears falling from her eyes as she hugged him.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” she choked out, and slowly his arms lifted to wrap around her.

Mickey had warned Sora…and Riku had let him go. He’d thought Sora could do it, he’d done so many impossible things over the years that he’d never doubted Sora would save her and then come home.

“Sora,” he whispered. They stayed like that, ignoring the others around them until Riku suddenly collapsed as agony flowed through his heart, knowing it was Sora’s pain and sheer terror. “SORA!” he screamed, back arching, even as hands tried to hold him down. The pain reached a crescendo…and then vanished, along with all sense of Sora. Riku welcomed the blackness of unconsciousness as it came. 

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Riku?” Mickey called, but the youngest Keyblade Master lay utterly still on the sand, even as Aqua moved to check his pulse, sending a cure spell at him as well.

“He’s alive,” she quickly assured them all, “just unconscious, but I don’t know why.”

“Could it be…cause Riku’s Sora’s Dream Eater?” Goofy asked, and Mickey felt sick with worry. What happened to a Dream Eater if their Dreamer died? Was this proof Sora truly was gone forever?

“We need to get him to Master Yen Sid,” he told them, and Terra moved in to carefully lift Riku, gently carrying him to the ship.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Maintenance Drone 13 of 14 of Trimatrix 197 disengaged from the alcove as the ship shuddered, the Collective activating it in order to aid in repairs of the Cube. If any part of Sora’s memory had been assimilated, the Collective would have been aware of the meaning of that number to him, as it was the designation was pure chance. The drone mechanically began its work with other Drones, directed by the will of the Collective. A nearby panel exploded, fatally wounded two others who collapsed, their bodies dragged aside for later scavenging before the work continued.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku and Kairi sat together on the old Paopu tree, staring out at the ocean, it had been nearly two years since Sora had…since Sora. They had done their best to try and find any sign of him but nothing worked. Kairi had allowed her Heart to be searched while asleep, Riku had travelled to every World he could think of, had tried to reach Sora’s dreams….there was no sign. It was like he’d never existed except for the fact everyone still remembered him.

He hadn’t realised how much the link between them had meant, until it had been brutally severed. Everyone else had begun to believe that pain had been Sora’s death, Riku refused to believe it, so did Kairi. But they had exhausted every lead, all they could do was wait for Sora to find his own way home or reach out to them somehow.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thirteen of Fourteen was transported with a group, the weapons of their targets already adapted to. The ship was large and so it had been sent over to help with assimilating the crew and technology. As they were fired on its shield activated as the group moved forward and it raised its arm, returning fire as ordered. It grabbed a crewmember, Assimilation tubules emerging and sinking deep into the neck of the male of species 312. The nanoprobes began their work and the drone moved on to the next.

Within hours the crew were either dead or undergoing the assimilation process and the Cube moved on.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku stared at Kairi in shock, even as she went.

“Riku, I…I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking away.

“Kairi, why?”

“I shouldn’t have, I just…”

Riku sighed but then pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead. “We both miss him Kairi, but you can’t just,” he stopped at her glare.

“You aren’t Sora and I am well aware of that Riku. You were always the one who thought there was a choice to make when it didn’t have to be that way. You spent that last day on the beach alone, well with your Replica, when you should have been with us.”

Riku stared at her in shock. “You knew?”

“We both did, but you obviously wanted to be alone so we stayed away. Riku, he didn’t cry when we reunited in the Organisations castle, it was you he collapsed in front of in tears.” She reached up to brush his hair out of his eyes. He’d stopped really caring about the length since the last battle and it was longer again, though not quite as long as it had been when his body was restored. “We wanted to share the fruit with you, all three of us.” She took a deep breath and then before he could move her lips brushed his again. “We’ll get Sora back and then we can talk.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thirteen of Fourteen worked diligently to upgrade the maturation chambers in which three children slept, their bodies changing as they were assimilated and forced to mature faster then was natural for their species. He barely even glanced at them, uncaring about anything except the survival of the Collective.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Cube shook, sections exploding. The energy field had damaged the shields, radiation was pouring in, the ship working to adapt. Every drone was active, working on repairs. If they could not repair the systems then the ship may be drawn into the nearby black hole. The ship shook under stress but they continued to work, ignoring injuries and deaths. The engines strained but they broke free of the pull, only to fall into the gravity well of a nearby planet, the shields down. Every drone had its own shields but they were not made to withstand re-entry. The Cube began to break up but the drones continued to work.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Captain, we’re picking up a signal from the nearby planet,” Harry announced.

“Specifics?” she asked as she looked over to the Ensign.

“It’s being distorted,” he answered, fingers flying over his console. “Captain! The signal is…of Borg origin.”

“Red alert,” she ordered, the normal lights immediately dimming as red lights began to flash through the ship. The Borg, wonderful. “Seven of Nine to the bridge,” she called over the shops com and it didn’t take the ex-drone long to arrive.

She immediately moved to a console, beginning to work on the signal. “It is indeed of Borg origin Captain, an automated distress beacon.”

“Automated?” Janeway looked over at the younger woman.

“Sent when a Borg ship is too badly damaged for the systems and drones to repair, or all of the drones are dead. The Collective then sends more ships to salvage whatever they can. The signal is weak due to the radiation from the nearby black hole. I do not believe it will have made it very far beyond this system.”

“Which means we could have an unmanned Borg cube lying around….we can’t just leave it for anyone to find, it’s too dangerous,” Kathryn Janeway knew it could be a treasure trove but it could also cause untold chaos if a species like the Kazon found it.

“We may also be able to alter the transwarp technology to work with Voyager’s systems if it is salvageable,” Seven pointed out.

“Set a course Mr Paris.”

“Aye aye Captain.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Seven made her way through the broken up Cube, avoiding the scattered remains of Drones. It was hard to be back among the Borg, even if they had ceased to function…to live. She could hear the whispers of the Collective and she was following those whispers now. Hearing the Collective meant something beyond the automated beacon was operable. Torres and Tuvok were working on the transwarp coils to see what could be salvaged and she had left them to their work to investigate, surprised they had not insisted she remain with them. Was it trust or necessity?

She stepped out into a wider corridor and found a single Drone working on part of the propulsion system. It ignored her, perhaps it didn’t even know she was there, too involved in its work.

“Seven to Chakotay,” she called after activating her combadge.

_“Chakotay, go ahead Seven.”_

“I’ve found a live Drone,” she admitted, watching it work. She carefully lifted her tricorder to scan it, reading off the data. “Original species is reading as human. It looks…young,” she admitted as it turned. Young enough that she would have thought it would be in a maturation chamber, or perhaps it had been released due to the condition of the Cube.

“Has it detected you?”

She was about to say no, when a dull blue eye locked onto her, the red light of his optical implant scanning over her. Yes, the drone had been male originally. She found she felt…sad, not something she expected to feel around the Borg. It wasn’t sorrow over no longer being one of them…it was for the drone before her.

“Yes,” she answered the Commander, “it shows no signs that it will attack, it appears to be a maintenance Drone.” Not that it made it any less dangerous than any other drone and she kept a wary eye on where she knew the weapon would be installed in the prosthetic arm.

“You will help repair,” the Drone spoke dully but then jerked slightly, perhaps it was damaged?

“This Cube is too damaged to repair,” she stated firmly.

“You will…” it jerked again, “help…me,” the last word was barely audible but for a second his eye seemed brighter. No Borg used the word ‘me’.

If only the automated signal was going out and not reaching the Collective…was it possible the Drone’s connection had been damaged, the whispers she was hearing simply lingering echoes from the now dead drones?

_“Seven?”_

She’d forgotten the channel was still open. “He said ‘me’ Commander. He seems damaged, I believe his connection to the Collection has been weakened if not severed.”

_“We’re coming to you, be careful,”_ he warned.

“Affirmative.” She carefully holstered her phaser, Drones did not attack unless threatened. Although if he was cut off he could be unstable. “Help you how?” she asked, taking a cautious step towards the Drone.

“Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct…of Unimatrix 01,” he stated, and she nodded, unsurprised he knew her old designation. “No longer part,” he jerked even more visibly that time. His more humanoid hand lifted towards her. “H…help…”

Seven hesitated but then moved forward, lifting her own hand to take his. His behaviour was not that of a Drone and the Borg did not deceive in such a way. His connection was damaged enough that something of the originally personality was reasserting itself. She lowered her kit to the ground and reached within for a hypospray, all without letting go of the hand that was clinging to her own.

“Will you allow me to administer this?” she asked. “You are in pain, the medication should render you unconscious until we can help you.” Theoretically, it would, but it had yet to be tested on a Drone. It worked on her but so did other methods that did not on a Drone. “You will not be harmed unless you attempt to harm a member of the crew.”

“Voyager…Federation…Starfleet…enemy…” he sounded confused ,and she was worried that his cortical implants may have been damaged, if they had, then all they could do was let him die peacefully. “Help?” it was definitely a question.

“I do not want to be your enemy,” she told him. “I was like you but now I am an individual again. We can help you.”

“Name?”

“Yes, you can have a name if you wish.” She wasn’t sure that was what he was asking, but it was a good guess.

He seemed confused but then he turned his head stiffly, revealing a bare patch of skin, and she stepped in, pressing the hypo to it. He tensed as it was injected but didn’t react further. He staggered a step away from her and tried to turn, stumbling.

“Here, sit down,” she urged, pressing down on his shoulder and he folded to the ground, wavering. Either the drug was acting slowly on his system or it wasn’t enough to fully knock him out. However, he also no longer appeared to be in pain, so that was good.

“Seven?”

“Here,” she called back, and Chakotay soon appeared with Tom Paris. “I gave him the experimental sedative, with his cooperation,” she explained before they could ask.

Tom cautiously approached but the Drone did nothing but watch him placidly. “Can you hear me?” Voyager’s primary pilot and currently only nurse asked.

The Drone stared blankly at him. “Auditory…functional.”

“Okay, good to know. I want to give you more of the drug Seven did, is that alright? You probably feel pretty odd at the moment.”

In response he turned his head to the side, revealing bare skin, but Seven remained ready to pull Tom back should he turn violent towards a human.

“Okay, please don’t attack me for this,” he murmured, placing the hypo against the skin.

Within seconds, the Drone had slumped bonelessly against the startled Tom, and Seven moved to help support him.

“Chakotay to Voyager.”

_“Go ahead Commander,”_ the Captain answered.

“We found a sole survivor. Permission to beam him to sickbay? We’re pretty sure he’s injured but he’s sedated now.”

_“He?”_

“Captain…he’s a Drone but, he’s young. He asked Seven to help him.” The Commander explained.

_“Very well, transport directly to Sickbay. I’ll have Security meet you there. I want everyone back on board as soon as possible.”_

“Understood.” Chakotay nodded to them, and Seven activated her own combadge.

“Seven to Voyager, three to beam directly to Sickbay,” she told them, and then felt the effects of the transporter take hold.

,,,,,,,,,,,

Kathryn closed the channel and sighed. Was she doing the right thing in allowing a Drone to be brought on board? The security risks…she quickly called Tuvok’s second to send some of their men to Sickbay. The Doctor wasn’t at risk, he was a hologram but she could not endanger the crew. Still, a lone Drone, cut off from the Collective. If Seven was correct then he was already regaining some individuality, could they really not try to help him?

She was concerned about helping a second drone when work with Seven could still be very difficult. The younger woman was having a difficult time integrating with the crew, her attitude found to be abrasive. If Chakotay believed this drone to be young, then perhaps he would have an easier time adjusting, she could only hope so.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Doctor was ready and waiting when the three appeared in Sickbay, even as the doors opened and two members of Security entered, heavily armed. “Get him onto the biobed,” he ordered, Seven and Mr Paris moving the Drone to the main surgical bay. “Let’s see what we have,” he activated the bed, reading off the various displays. “Some cranial damage, cortical implants appear undamaged,” he murmured to himself since he had found that others preferred him not to simply access the information internally. It was all part of becoming more ‘human’ for the crew and expanding beyond his original programming.

He quickly accessed his records from Seven’s surgeries as well as those he had referenced for said surgeries. The Drone was human which was good since all records were for human patients. He did whish that Kes was still with them, she had the surer hands when it came to surgery than Mr Paris, but hopefully Seven and her knowledge of the Borg would even things out as they said.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku absently rubbed his chest, he’d felt strange for a moment, but it had passed and he shrugged it off. He nodded to Kairi who took her stance again and then attacked. She would be taking the Mark of Mastery exam with Ventus and Lea in a week and he wanted to be as sure as possible that she was ready. Their exam would not end like his and Sora’s had.

_TBC…_


	2. ch2

Kathryn stared at the sedated form on the biobed, Seven’s report was right, he was young, no more than a teenager. His prosthetic limb had been replaced, although his other hand was still obviously reinforced with a metallic exoskeleton almost like a glove and she knew his Assimilation tubule were housed within it which was why the support had to remain, the tubules were too much a part of him to be removed. The optical unit had been replaced with an implant to match his remaining natural eye, leaving only a ring of metal, slightly thicker than Seven’s. He looked mostly human again, still bald for now, and with a few implants still showing, especially one that circled around the right side of nis neck. The rest could easily be covered by clothing, although he would have to wear long sleeves if he was self-conscious about them.

“How is he Doctor?” she asked as the EMH joined her.

“Recovering quite nicely, physically. By our best calculations, he was assimilated only a few years ago which is making the transition easier than Seven’s. He is still dependant on several of the implants though, unlike Captain Picard who was a Borg for an even shorter period. He will need to make use of the Regeneration alcoves in the cargo bay as well to ensure the implants continue to function correctly.”

She nodded, that was easy enough to arrange.

“I have yet to stimulate hair growth as I hope to be able to let him participate in length and style.”

“When will he wake?”

“He can be woken at any time, I’ve been keeping him sedated to allow his body to adjust and his mind to hopefully begin the healing process. There is no way to know how his mental state will be when he wakes, the fact that he was able to ask for help is a good sign but without a telepathic scan or mind meld there is no way to know for certain,” he shrugged slightly. “Seven had no desire to be freed and she was a difficult patient because of that, hopefully he will be easier.

“I understand Doctor. Wake him,” she ordered, and he nodded, pressing a hypo to pale skin.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Waking was gradual, it was strange, his mind was…quiet. His…he…he was…who was he? Where was he?

“Hmm, respiration is becoming rather rapid,” a male voice stated. “I believe he is conscious Captain.”

“It’s alright, you’re safe. You are aboard the Federation Starship Voyager. The Borg cannot harm you,” a female voice said. Janeway, Captain Kathryn, the information just came to him.

Safe? The Borg…there was so much information. Cautiously, he opened his eyes, blinking up at a grey ceiling, instantly cataloguing everything.

An older human male leant over him with a scanner and he tensed, he could see something…not a human, a hologram? “Welcome aboard young man,” the hologram told him.

He opened his mouth to respond only to cough.

“Ah, here,” a straw was pressed to his lips. “Take a few sips before trying to speak.”

He obeyed, the liquid nice and cool in his mouth and down his throat. How long since he’d drunk anything?

“How do you feel?” the Captain asked.

“I…” he swallowed. “Who am I?” he asked shakily, seeing the look they exchanged, seeing the minute changes in her body temperature, the shifts in muscles.

“You don’t remember?” the hologram asked, sounding…concerned?

He shook his head. He tried to think of anything before the Collective but… “Pain…everything hurt, then voices in my head.”

“The Collective?” she asked gently, and he nodded.

He pushed his arms against the bed, trying to sit, but then the bed moved to help him sit up some, startling him.

“It’s possible that you suffered severe physical trauma before your assimilation, if that is the case then it may have damaged your memory. Which makes the fact that you were able to ask for help even more extraordinary.”

“You are…a hologram?” he asked, and the Doctor nodded.

“Indeed I am, you can see the different light waves I assume?”

He nodded.

“Very good, we removed the ocular implant the Borg gave you and replaced it with one to match your natural eye. Would you like to take a look?”

“Don’t be alarmed young man, you still have some healing to go,” the Captain told him quickly. “Your appearance may be a little startling.”

He nodded and took the mirror, slowly bringing it up. He stared in wonder at two blue eyes, reaching up to touch the bare skin of his face, the only visible sign of the Borg was the metal ocular device around the implanted eye and another implant on the side of his neck. He put the mirror down and lifted both arms, seeing two human hands, although one was still covered in metal along his bones. Further up his arm he could see metal under the sleeve of the clothing he’d been placed in.

He looked up at them, feeling moisture on his face, crying, he was crying. “Thank you,” he gasped out.

“You’re very welcome,” the Captain smiled at him, and then held her hand out to him. He stared blanky for a moment before realising what she was doing, reaching out to take her hand. “Welcome aboard. Is there anything you would like to be called, until you remember your name, or we may even be able to track you down in the Federation database.”

He stared, finding he was chewing his lip, so he stopped. “I…they called me 13 of 14 of Trimatrix 197, the number feels…important, like something from before.”

“Do you want us to use that?” the hologram Doctor asked.

He hesitated, considering it. “Thirteen,” he agreed.

“Welcome aboard Thirteen,” Captain Janeway told him and it felt…good?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

She returned to her ready room feeling much better about taking on a second ex-drone. His reaction on waking had been very different to Seven’s. He appeared far more timid than her, due to his lost memory? Or was it simply how he was? Then again he had been through a lot recently considering he was the sole survivor to be found. That he had survived at all was incredible, even Borg resilience had its limits.

Only time would tell if he could become a fully functioning, independent, person again or if the Collective would forever haunt him. If they ever made it back, she would suggest he at least speak with Captain Picard since their experiences were more similar than Thirteen’s and Seven’s. And the Enterprise had had dealing with other freed drones too. Wishful thinking perhaps.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Doctor watched closely as Thirteen stared at the bowl of soup, looking utterly lost. Of course! With no memory he would not know how to use the spoon to eat it. Eating utensils were highly unlikely to be on the list of knowledge disseminated to drones. He moved closer and coached him through how to eat, ensuring he did so slowly, to ensure his system had no adverse reactions to its first meal in years. Teaching someone to eat was a little strange considering that as a hologram he had never eaten himself, but he would ensure his patient learnt to care for himself.

Once he had eaten, the Doctor showed him the facilities attached to Sickbay and quickly showed him how to use them before leaving him alone, using the sensors to keep an eye on him in case something happened. He also programmed the replicator with the measurements taken by the scanners to create the appropriate attire. His wardrobe choices would unfortunately be limited but as he learnt about himself, he would at least be able to choose colours for his clothing.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Seven walked into Sickbay to find Thirteen sitting on the biobed, dressed in a skin tight dark green bodysuit, much like her own and for the same reason, the suit was designed to help his body support both organic and cybernetic functions now that he no longer had Exo-plating.

“Hello Thirteen, do you remember me?” she asked as blue eyes focused on her.

“Seven of Nine,” he answered. “I saw you, on the planet.”

She nodded. “Did the Doctor explain the ongoing need to support the remaining implants within your body?” she asked.

“I still need to Regenerate for at least five hours every ‘day’ but he said that I can also eat?”

“Indeed. For now, your access to the ship is restricted, if you attempt to enter somewhere you don’t have access, the doors will refuse to open, but you have permission to be in the mess hall and several other recreational areas as well as the cargo bay where the Regeneration alcoves are set up,” she explained, “it was thought that it was a better way than making you have an escort as you are not a prisoner. What would you like to see first?”

He blinked at her, seeming surprised by the question, but she understood. It was hard to adjust to being asked for an opinion, Drones didn’t have opinions or get to choose after all. It was something she still struggled with and she had been ‘free’ for months. “Regeneration?” he asked hesitantly.

“Very well,” she waved a hand at the doors, watching him take a deep breath before slipping down off the biobed.

He followed her from Sickbay, staying close, and she could feel the curious stares of the crew….and how tense he was becoming.

“No one will harm you, they are simply curious, it will pass in time as they get used to your presence,” she explained calmly, knowing that she had to lead by example when it came to the young ex-drone, especially since he had lost his memory of anything before his assimilation.

He would need to get used to the stares and even suspicion, although he had not acted against the ship so perhaps he would not face that. He was also younger and all research showed that humans had strong instincts towards protecting the young. She led him to the cargo bay and he stared at the four alcoves, immediately picking hers out before slowly approaching the furthest from hers.

He stared up at it, reaching out to touch the metal. There was no rush, he was still within in the safe timeframe for Regeneration. It had been different for her, she had not wanted to be disconnected, to be an individual and so had welcomed the familiarity of the alcove. For someone assimilated older and far more recently, it had to be daunting to willingly do so.

“The alcoves are not connected to anything,” she assured him. “Not even each other, there will be no link between us even if we use them at the same time.”

He nodded and took a deep breath, before stepping up and into the alcove.

“Computer initiate Regeneration cycle for alcove four,” she called.

“Acknowledged.”

The circle began to glow, waves of energy shifting across it, and Thirteen’s eyes fell closed, though she could see him fighting it for a few seconds before he let it happen.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“What’s wrong?” Kairi asked, sitting beside him, leaning into his side, and he wrapped an arm around her.

Riku glanced down and smiled slightly at one of the newest Keyblade Masters, proud of her for making it so far. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I keep getting the strangest feeling,” he rubbed his chest slightly, and she frowned.

“Your chest….or your Heart?”

“Kairi?” he frowned.

“Riku…could it be…Sora?” she asked hesitantly, and he froze.

His eyes went wide, Sora? After years, could it be? He closed his eyes, reaching into his Heart and…he gasped.

“Riku?!” she straightened up in alarm.

“I can feel…something. Not just the void that’s been there since that day. But...it doesn’t feel like him.”

“We should see Ienzo or Merlin,” she grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet, but he went willingly. For the first time in years, they had real hope. They held hands as they ran for the ship, needing the physical connection, and he kissed her chastely before starting the ship up. That was as far as they had ever gone, it didn’t feel right without Sora, he had always been the bridge between them.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thirteen hesitated but then walked into the mess hall, glancing around. He had already had the ships layout in his memory so traversing between the areas he was allowed in was easy. He did not want to do anything that would see his freedom revoked. Seven had duties since she had been with the ship for several months so he could not simply stay with her all of the time. He did not like moving about on his own, but hunger had won, as strange as it felt to actually feel hunger.

“Ah, welcome!” A voice called and he turned to see an approaching male… Species 218… Talaxian.

“Hello,” he greeted quietly, unsure. He forced himself not to automatically bring up the Borgs information on him.

“My name is Neelix, welcome aboard Voyager, Thirteen isn’t it?” he asked, and Thirteen nodded. “Well, this is the mess hall. If you have replicator rations then you can use them, otherwise I keep the kitchen stocked with fresh foods from hydroponics and the various worlds we visit. Would you like anything in particular?”

“I…I do not remember what I like,” he admitted. Weakness was not allowed, the weak were terminated, was admitting that weak? No, they were not the Collective.

“Well then, we’ll just have to try a bit of everything,” Neelix took his arm carefully and even through the suit it felt strange but…nice. He was grateful for the wrist length sleeves that covered the implant in his arm, only the metal on his hand visible.

He took a seat at the table Neelix led him to, watching the Talaxian move about the kitchen. Soon, small amounts of various foods were before him and he began trying them, listening to Neelix chatter about the crew and the various adventures, it felt good…familiar. Maybe he’d travelled before?

The doors opened to admit a member of spec…no, a Vulcan. He didn’t want to call them species like the Borg did, he was free now. If only he knew who he was.

“Ah, Mr Tuvok, what can I get you?”

“Just tea Mr Neelix,” was the answer. He…Mr Tuvok looked at Thirteen and motioned to an empty chair. “May I join you?”

“Yes Sir.” That seemed to be a correct answer and manner of address.

“Thank you,” he sat down and accepted his tea from Neelix. “I am the ships chief of Security. Unless the Captain wishes otherwise, I will be the one to determine what kind of access you are given around the ship as time passes. However, that is not why I sought you out today. I understand you have no memory of your human life?”

Thirteen nodded warily.

“I assume you have the Collectives knowledge of my species.”

“They call you Species 3259,” he admitted. “I…I do not like that, I want to know the names they call themselves.”

“An admirable ideal,” Tuvok nodded at him. “Then you are aware of our mental abilities?”

Thirteen frowned in confusion over why that was relevant, but nodded. “You are natural touch-telepaths. The most common method is the mind meld, stronger Vulcans are capable of non-contact telepathic projection and scanning, usually over short distances, but sometimes even over interstellar distances,” he was able to bring up the information easily.

It was kind of scary how much information was stored not just in his brain but in the remaining implants that he could access, and yet he knew nothing about himself. Which meant the Collective had known nothing of him other than that he was found near dead in a crater on a planet they had assimilated, a planet that had no humans on it except him.

“Indeed. I am willing, with the Doctors approval and monitoring, to attempt a mind meld with you. It is possible that I may be able to help you access your memories as no critical damage was found to those areas of your brain.”

Thirteen stared at him. He could remember? The thought of letting another into his mind scared him, as much as he could feel scared due to the implants. Seven had explained that they could not feel the full range and scope of emotion a non-assimilated human could because of the implants, but any emotion was better than the emotional emptiness of the Collective.

“The offer is not one limited by time, you may say yes or no at any time and I will do my best to aid you. I understand that the thought of allowing another access to your mind so soon may be daunting. I would be functioning as a healer and as such, anything I learnt from the meld would remain confidential unless dangerous to you or the crew.”

“The mind meld is very personal, is it not?” he asked, and Tuvok nodded.

“Indeed it is.”

“Then why?”

“The Doctor approached me about it, he believes something is blocking your memories. You have suffered much and deserve the chance to regain what was taken from you,” the Vulcan explained.

“What if…I was a bad person?”

“Such traits often remain even without memory, you have displayed none.”

“Thank you,” Thirteen didn’t know what else to say, and Tuvok was soon gone.

“Don’t worry Thirteen, Mr Tuvok can seem rather unapproachable, but he’s a good sort,” Neelix told him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku sat in the chair, breathing steadily as Ienzo, Even, and Ansem the Wise moved about him. It wasn’t his first time being examined, although it was a first to have all three of them as Even had still been adjusting to having been recompleted, again, when Riku had been examined after Sora vanished.

“Well?” Kairi eventually asked, hands on her hips, and Riku smothered a smile at the sight of grown men shifting back from the fiery redhead. There was a reason she and Lea got along so well, scarily well once they’d gotten over the whole kidnapping thing.

“What we identified as the link between Dream Eater and Dreamer is still severed but it appears…” Ienzo glanced up at Ansem.

“It appears to be trying to regenerate, I suppose you could say.”

“Then….Sora?” Riku asked, hardly daring to hope.

“We cannot reach the other end of the link, only you can do that, and at the moment I do not suggest attempting it. The link is too fragile, if you were to attempt a dive it could shatter and leave you stranded in the Sleeping Worlds with no way back, it could even kill you. It is too weak to even try to track,” Ansem warned.

“It seems strange that it would be a link with Sora as you know each other so well, we would have expected to simply snap back, but then how could you be forming a Dream Eater bond with a stranger?” Even pondered.

“What if something has happened to Sora though? Could it be weak because he is injured or something?” Kairi suggested, but Ienzo shook his head.

“It is the heart that provides the link…therefore it would have to be Sora’ heart that is wounded.”

The idea of Sora out there somewhere, wounded to his very heart made Riku feel sick, it was better than him being dead but not by much. Such damage would leave him very vulnerable to any threat and…the Darkness.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Hi,” a voice called, and Thirteen looked around and then down to see a young girl staring up at him.

“Hello?” he offered, unsure what to do with the miniature person….child. At first glance she looked almost human, except for exo-cranial ridges which meant she was likely a hybrid, the ridges suggested Species 6961. The Borg did not have children and those that were assimilated were placed in maturation chambers to ensure their bodies adapted correctly as they grew. He blinked as an image of a child appeared before his eyes, a child he had infected with his nanoprobes and then led to a maturation chamber himself. No, never again.

“I’m Naomi Wildman, the Captain’s Assistant.” She promptly sat down beside him. “Welcome aboard.”

“Thank you,” he didn’t know what he was meant to say or do. Did she not know what he was? Why would she want to be near him?

“Your name is Thirteen, right?” She asked, and he nodded.

Every protocol the Borg had given him was inappropriate and he had no memory of being a child, let alone being around any that were not being assimilated.

“You’re allowed other places beside the cargo bay and mess hall,” she pointed out, sitting so she could see the passing stars too. He found the sight soothing and wondered if she did as well. “Have you been to Earth before? Or did you grow up somewhere else?” She asked curiously.

“I do not know.”

“Why not?” She asked, confused.

“I…I do not remember anything before the Borg,” he told her softly. There was nothing, his mind utterly blank of anything before the Collective. The Doctor had encouraged hair growth for him but it had been left very short because he did not remember how it used to look or know what he would like.

She stared at him with wide eyes. “I’m sorry. I was born on Voyager, I don’t know my family except my Mum. Can the Doctor do something to help you remember?”

“Not that he has told me, Commander Tuvok has offered to help.”

“A mind meld?” she asked, sounding excited, and he nodded. “I’ve read about them, its sounds incredible. Why haven’t you done it yet?” she asked and then frowned. “Oh…is it…because he’d be in your mind?”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Seven watched as Naomi chattered away at Thirteen, slowly drawing answers from him, and to her amazement, a small smile. She was meant to be tutoring the girl but instead left them alone, deciding that helping Thirteen was more important for the moment. Naomi had been scared of her at first, but she showed none of that with Thirteen which was good.

_TBC…_

_So it’s kind of SoraRikuKairi? Except the three never got together before Sora vanished and now he’s been missing for years._


	3. ch3

_Disclaimer: not mine_

_Wow, way more interest in this than I ever expected. Thanks for the great reviews!_

_Physically, Sora is nearly nineteen at the moment for those wondering._

**Chapter 3**

“How is our newest crewmember doing?” Kathryn asked as the meeting wound up. She hadn’t seen the young man herself since that meeting in Sickbay and she should probably change that.

“Physically he’s doing as well as expected,” the Doctor informed her. “I gave him a check-up just yesterday and there have been no adverse after effects from the surgeries. There is still no sign of his memories returning however.”

“He is quiet and keeps mostly to himself,” Tuvok admitted. “Computer logs show that he spends all of his time either in the cargo bay or mess hall.”

“Naomi seems to be making a connection,” Neelix offered with a small smile 

“She isn’t afraid like she was with Seven?” she asked him.

“No, maybe due to his age or because she already knows Seven,” Neelix shrugged.

“For his ongoing mental health I suggest finding ways to begin integrating Thirteen with the crew,” the Doctor warned. “Isolation is incredibly dangerous for an ex-drone once disconnected from the Collective. Even with only a few years of being a drone, he will need to make connections here. He may never regain his memory, and even if he does, those he knew are either gone or far away, he needs more than Seven and Naomi.”

“Very well, suggestions people.” She was not going to save the boy from death or the Borg reacquiring him only for him to lose him to isolation. He had Borg knowledge but perhaps he would benefit from some form of class like structure to help him fit in.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tom saw the doors to the mess open and Thirteen walk inside, glancing around. He looked very different to the drone he had helped sedate and then operate on. That was an experience he would prefer not to repeat any time soon. Tom missed Kes, she had been a far better nurse than he was, he didn’t even like it! He glanced at Harry who was eating and nudged him.

“What?” his friend asked.

“Mind more company?” Tom asked, nodding slightly towards Thirteen.

“I guess,” Harry offered, they’d both been at the staff meeting and heard the Doctor’s warning.

“Hey, Thirteen,” Tom called, and he looked over at them. “Want to join us?”

The teen paused, staring blankly at them for a few seconds, tray of food clutched close, before he hesitantly nodded, moving towards their table. Tom pushed out an empty chair for him and Thirteen sat down.

“I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Tom Paris, and this is Harry Kim.”

Thirteen looked at Tom and then nodded. “From the planet,” he touched his neck, and Tom nodded.

“Yeah, that’s me. You look a lot better now, we nearly lost you a few times during the surgery.”

Thirteen frowned slightly. “Lieutenant Tom Paris, chief conn officer.”

“And field medic. All the living medical staff died when Voyager was brought here, so I fill in as a medic.”

“You know who everyone is, don’t you?” Harry asked, and Thirteen nodded.

“The Collective has marked Voyager for assimilation or destruction upon detection. All members have files on the crew,” he admitted.

“And yet you sat still and let us sedate you,” Tom pointed out, even more amazed by his actions now. “Seven said you asked for help, you didn’t threaten her at all. For someone who was still partially connected to the Collective, that was incredible.”

Was the kid actually blushing slightly? He was a kid, the Doctor had estimated his age at around eighteen or nineteen, the alterations by the Borg made it harder to make a definite determination. Younger than all of the crew, well except for Naomi, Harry was the next closest in age but he was twenty-five so it was a considerable gap.

Thankfully Harry managed to start a conversation on astrometrics, Thirteen being drawn into it gradually to the talk about the new lab that Harry and Seven were working to make. He may not remember who he had been, but he definitely knew his stuff when it came to technology and science. Was that all from the Borg or had he been good at such things before?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Everything was so different, he did not understand how to deal with it so often. He did his best, not wanting them to regret helping him. His mind was so quiet, he was free, but alone. Just learning how to eat was strange, it was highly inefficient. Unfortunately, Regenerating was no longer enough with his human organs working properly.

He only went to the mess hall when he had to eat, because he felt like he was on display the whole time. He could feel them watching him, could hear the whispers. He did not like it. He would rather just remain in the cargo bay, but Naomi Wildman had made it very clear that she would not allow that, neither would Tom. He was unsure why they went out of their way to spend time with him, he was not good at conversing about anything except what was work for the crew.

It was all stolen knowledge, taken from those who were assimilated. He had none of his own. It was…difficult. Know that he knew and understood that assimilation was horrific he did not like having all of that information inside of him. Without a link, something to keep his mind occupied while Regenerating, he kept seeing them, the faces of those he had assisted in assimilating.

Did Seven see the same things? Part of him wanted to ask but he did not know how.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Enter,” she called, smiling as Harry walked into her ready room. “What brings you here Harry?”

“I was wondering about asking another person to the grand opening, Captain,” he answered.

“Oh? A date?” she asked, teasing, and Harry blinked.

“No Captain, I was thinking of Thirteen. He’s still keeping himself isolated but he’s joined Tom and I for meals a few times. I bounced some of the lab ideas off him actually. The hardware is all in so he wouldn’t have access. But his information is even more up to date than Seven’s and he needs to do something. I…I think he’s blaming himself for his actions while a drone.”

She winced slightly, she’d read Picard’s reports on that. “Very well. He’ll be your responsibility.”

“Thank you Captain. He won’t let you down.”

“And if this goes well then perhaps it will give us an idea what he may be interested in pursuing. Dismissed Ensign.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thirteen was shocked when Seven took him to the Astrometrics lab she had been working on building with Harry. The Ensign grinned at them and waved Thirteen over.

“You’re ours for the day Thirteen, ready to help get this up and running?”

He stared at Harry, unsure he had heard correctly. He glanced at Seven who nodded.

“You have more updated information than I do, it is efficient for you to help now rather than waiting until later,” she agreed.

“The Captain?” he asked.

“Agreed,” Harry promised. “So?”

He nodded and moved to join Harry.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Space, the great unknown, Only now we're going to know it a little better. Harry?”

At the Captain’s prompt he brought up the display, an image of the galaxy from above, divided into grids appeared. He glanced at his silent shadow, glad that the Captain had agreed to let Thirteen be there for the unveiling. He was staring in awe at the image of the Galaxy, so different to just having the information in his head Harry guessed.

“Before there were maps and globes, let alone radar and subspace sensors, mariners navigated by the stars. We're returning to that tried and true method, but this time there's a difference,” Chakotay nodded at Harry, obviously impressed and it felt good.

“Ensign Kim and Seven of Nine have merged Starfleet and Borg ingenuity to create this new technology. And I'm sure I speak for the entire crew when I say, thank you. Now, how the hell does it work?” She smirked, and Harry grinned at the no-nonsense question.

“Astrometric sensors measure the radiative flux of up to three billion stars simultaneously. The computer then calculates our position relative to the centre of the galaxy,” Seven explained.

Harry went to continue but then glanced at Thirteen, motioning him forward. The teen hesitated and Harry glanced at the Captain who understood he was letting the younger male explain, so she looked at him and smiled in encouragement.

“This mapping technology is ten times more accurate than what you have been using. We…We have plotted a new course to your home,” he explained softly.

Harry was happy he had spoken up with a little encouragement, and that he had admitted to having helped them with the work to plot the new course.

“By my estimates this trajectory will eliminate five years from your journey,” Seven added.

“Our journey. Nice work, Seven,” Neelix grinned at her.

“That region of space we're about to enter. It looks like it has a lot of M-class planets,” B’Elanna pointed out as she studied the image.

“It does. Spatial grid zero zero five. Primary species, the Zahl,” Seven informed them.

“What do we know about this species?” Commander Tuvok asked as he studied the images.

Seven went to answer but then glanced at Thirteen.

“Technologically advanced but nonconfrontational. Their resistance quotient is lower than most species,” he offered.

“Thank you all for coming. We've got a lot of work to do, so,” Chakotay began only for the Doctor to interrupt.

“I'd like to say a few words if I may. I've prepared a speech for this occasion. When I was first activated on Stardate 48315, and I found myself mano a mano with the Delta Quadrant, I didn't think we'd survive a week, let alone three years. There was strife. There was discord. You were all at each other’s throats. But over time, I've had the pleasure and pride of watching this crew learn to work together as colleagues, even friends.”

“Hear, hear,” Tom cheered.

“Who would have thought that this eclectic group of voyagers could actually become a family? Starfleet, Maquis, Klingon, Talaxian, hologram, Borg, even Mister Paris. Granted, we've had our share of difficulties. One might say, we've seen the best of times and the worst of times. I'd now like to recount some of those times from my unique perspective. Under the category of best of times, I invite you all to recall the moment when I,” it was the Doctor’s turn to be interrupted, thankfully.

_“Bridge to captain.”_

“Janeway here,” she answered.

_“We're being hailed. A vessel off the port bow.”_

“On our way.”

“Perhaps we could all reconvene later?” the Doctor asked.

“Come on,” Harry grinned at Thirteen who followed him from the room.

“Care to help me out in the mess, Thirteen?” Neelix asked, and the ex-drone left with him while they headed for the bridge to see what was happening.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thirteen frowned as something seemed to change, grabbing Neelix before he could fall as the ship rattled with incoming weapons fire. He blinked at the damage to the mess hall…something was wrong with what he was seeing, even as he absently rubbed at his chest with one hand.

“Thanks,” the morale officer offered, and Thirteen nodded.

He moved to star out into space, activating the less used sensors in his ocular implant, they were too sensitive and distracting to use all of the time…time. Something was very wrong, even as they moved to warp speed.

“Neelix, can you contact the Captain, something is had gone wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am detecting very high amounts of temporal energy around the ship.” The alerts changed in tone slightly and an armed security guard entered to stand by the door.

“It’s been a bad week….you sure?” Neelix asked and Thirteen looked at him.

“A bad week?” he asked.

“With all the attacks,” Neelix frowned.

“Then it is even more urgent because there was no damage and no attacks, until the ship was hit by the energy wave. It is my assumption due to this information, that someone has altered time.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thirteen followed the officer onto the bridge, he had not been there before and he thought he was nervous. Taking in the dim lights, the damage, was shocking.

“This had better be good Thirteen,” the Captain said as she worked on a panel.

“The ship and this region, have been affected by a change in time. This morning the ship was pristine and now it shows several days’ worth of battle damage.”

“How can you know that.”

“My optical implant detected the energy surge and my memories do not match Neelix or Ensign Larx,” he nodded at the man who had escorted him to the bridge. “I may have no memory of my past, but that has no effect on my current memory abilities. “Find out where the changes were made and reverse them and the current trouble would end.”

“Tuvok, Ensign Kim, work with Thirteen and Seven. I want proof and ideas on how to reverse the time alterations if proved.”

“Yes Captain,” they agreed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

”Thirteen is correct, we have been the victims of an alteration to the timeline,” Seven announced. She did not understand how she had not detected it, had the Borg upgraded so much in the time between their disconnections? “The Borg have experience with time travel.”

“The events of Earth first contact and the Enterprise-E,” Thirteen agreed, getting blank looks from the others. “This appears to be a different method however.”

“Would this be how their weapons continue to breach our shields?” Tuvok asked

“I would assume so,” Seven agreed. “We need access to one to get accurate readings.”

“We need to somehow get access to one of their torpedoes then,” Tuvok agreed.

The question was, how?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thirteen lay on his back among the debris, working diligently. He had worked while the Cube broke up around them, as every other drone ceased to function. He did not know why he had survived when they did not, but it made it easier to ignore the fighting outside of the ship. They needed access to the weapons being used against them, weapons that felt wrong to him in a way he could not explain, as if the way time was altered should not be possible in the way it was being done.

Almost no shielding could stop the Borg transporters and so he was re-wiring one of Voyager’s. He did not know if the Captain would agree with what he was doing, but he was not restricted due to the damage the ship had taken, there was no one available to watch him.

It did not matter, they had saved him, he would do whatever he had to in order to save them, even if he was later punished for it.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kairi ducked, swinging her Keyblade, seeing the Heartless vanish. Even defeating Xehanort hadn’t gotten rid of them totally. Riku suddenly appeared from the shadows at her side, rolling to his feet, that was a neat ability but not one she could learn.

They were travelling the Worlds together, the never ending search for some sign of Sora. Riku had been having nightmares but they weren’t his own, echoes from whatever Sora was going through. It had to be very bad for it to be reaching Riku when the link was so weak.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“We’re clear for now Captain,” Tuvok announced.

“Stand down to Yellow Alert, sweep the decks,” she ordered.

_“Thirteen to the Captain.”_

Hearing his voice over the comm was odd, but he had proven very helpful during the crises and they could not afford to have anyone on board cut off from communication under the circumstances.

“Janeway here. Have you found something?” She knew he was still looking for a way to gain access to the Krenim’s weapons.

_“We have access to two torpedoes Captain, they are currently in cargo bay two.”_

“Pardon?” she asked in shock as the bridge fell silent.

_“I transported two of the torpedoes the ship fired at us during the battle into the cargo bay and am using the cargo bay shielding energy to keep them in stasis.”_

“We’re on our way,” she waved at Tuvok and Harry to accompany her. Apparently when left to his own devices, Thirteen was capable of thinking outside of the box.

They found the two torpedoes exactly how he had described, Seven entering seconds after they did.

“Let’s get to work people.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Stand down from Red Alert,” the Captain ordered even as tired cheers broke out.

They’d done it! Their shields could now stand up to the weapons and it was all due to Thirteen taking the initiative to alter the transporter. Now that they had a defence, they could focus on repairs and working out how time had been changed.

It felt like they had barely begun when a massive Krenim ship appeared.

“That entire vessel's in a state of temporal flux. It's like they exist outside space-time,” Harry announced

“They're scanning us,” Tom announced and then Thirteen grabbed him, energy flickering around them as something attempted to transport them.

“We're being hailed,” Tuvok announced.

“On screen,” Captain Janeway ordered and a Krenim appeared.

_“State your identity,”_ he ordered.

“I'm Captain Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager. Who are you?”

_“I am Annorax of the Krenim Imperium. Your ship does not come from this quadrant.”_

“We come from Earth, a planet sixty five thousand light years from here. We're on our way home,” she explained.

Thirteen moved away from Tom, feeling a little dizzy, but he moved to one of the side stations to examine what information they could get from the other ship, seeing Seven doing the same.

_“I see.”_

“We've been observing some rather unusual events in the region. It seems your Imperium never existed. Perhaps you could shed some light on this?”

_“That doesn't concern you. What is important is that you understand that I bear you no hostility. But you have diverted me from my mission.”_

For some reason, Thirteen did not think that would make him end the attacks on them.

“Your mission? You're responsible for the changes in the timeline.”

_“You're a long way from your world. In a manner of speaking, so am I. Unfortunately, only one of us can go home again. Your sacrifice will restore the lives of countless millions. I'm sorry.”_ With that the transmission ended.

“I'm reading a massive energy build-up. Some kind of weapon,” Harry called, sounding concerned.

“Shields.”

The ship shook as the beam impacted the shields.

“Temporal shields are weakening,” Seven announced even as they both worked to reinforce them.

“Captain, that energy beam. It's pushing Voyager out of the space-time continuum.”

“Captain, I believe I know how to restore the proper timeline,” Thirteen called out.

“How?”

“Destroy that ship,” he answered.

“I concur,” Seven announced after looking over his work quickly. “However, they are currently not quite within the space-time continuum.”

“Then find me a way to get them back in.”

“An away team could possibly do so,” Seven suggested. “With the alterations Thirteen made to the transporters, I believe we can bypass their shields.”

“Very well, Commander,” she nodded at Chakotay who stood.

“Seven, Tuvok, with me.”

Part of Thirteen wanted to argue, to say he was the better choice than Seven but after observing the crew, he knew the Captain would not allow it due to his age. It was a strange idea to be considered ‘too young’ when with the Borg everyone did the same things. He had not been deemed too young by the Collective, he would have been placed in a maturation chamber if he had been.

Instead, he focused on keeping the shields up to keep Voyager from being erased, they had to buy the away team time.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku lay on his bunk, breathing heavily, Kairi sitting worriedly beside him. She lifted his hand and kissed his knuckles, hoping he’d know she was there. They were a long way away from the Worlds they knew which meant it was just them. He was fast asleep but it wasn’t peaceful, it hadn’t been for months. Tonight was the worst it had been and she prayed to any god who would listen that it meant things were coming to a head and would be getting better.

What could Sora be going through to affect Riku in such a way?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Shields are failing,” Harry called.

“Come on,” she whispered. “Come on.”

She glanced over to see Thirteens’ hands flying over the console he was using. When this was all over, she would be seeing to it that he was given a place, astrometrics or engineering probably. He had the skills for it and this crisis had proven beyond a doubt that he would do whatever he could to keep the ship and crew safe. A trial by fire for sure.

“Captain! Enemy shields are down, they’ve done it!

“Beam them back Thirteen,” she called.

“Aye Captain,” he answered briskly and seconds later the team appeared, worse for wear but alive.

“Fire everything we have!”

“I’m detecting unstable energy readings from the temporal core.”

“We did as much damage in there as we could,” Chakotay pointed out.

“Captain, our shields are down!” Harry practically yelped.

“Thirteen?”

“Necessary,” he answered.

“Thirteen?” she asked again, not liking the thread of suspicion over his actions but unable to help it, and he looked up at her.

“We need to ride out the blast, unless you want to repair the ship ourselves?”

She frowned and then she realised what he was saying. “It will reverse these events?”

“By my calculations, it will be as if none of this ever happened.”

Seven moved to look over his work and nodded. “I concur.”

“All hands, brace for impact,” She announced.

They watched the ship as it began to blow up and then there was a blast of white light.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Space, the great unknown, Only now we're going to know it a little better. Harry?”

At the Captain’s prompt he brought up the display, an image of the galaxy from above, divided into grids appeared. He glanced at his silent shadow, glad that the Captain had agreed to let Thirteen be there for the unveiling. He was staring in awe at the image of the Galaxy, so different to just having the information in his head Harry guessed.

“Before there were maps and globes, let alone radar and subspace sensors, mariners navigated by the stars. We're returning to that tried and true method, but this time there's a difference,” Chakotay nodded at Harry, obviously impressed and it felt good.

“Ensign Kim and Seven of Nine have merged Starfleet and Borg ingenuity to create this new technology. And I'm sure I speak for the entire crew when I say, thank you. Now, how the hell does it work?” She smirked, and Harry grinned at the no-nonsense question.

No one noticed the slight confusion on Thirteens’ face, it all felt very familiar…like it had happened before which was impossible, was it not?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kairi was relieved when Riku slept the night through peacefully, curling up beside him to get sleep herself.

_TBC…_

_So the ‘Year of Hell’ only lasted a few months thanks to Thirteen’s help and Janeway didn’t have to commit suicide by ramming the enemy with Voyager. His implants are a bit more advanced than Seven’s and she’s picked up odd energy before so I figured it wasn’t impossible for him to detect large waves of temporal energy. And since he technically time travelled once himself for his Mastery exam, I decided that plus his repressed magic allowed him be aware of things changing and then have the déjà vu at the end._

_Poor Riku getting the feedback from months of attack after attack._


	4. ch4

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 4**

Riku sat in the pilots chair, practically flying with his eyes closed because no matter how tired, he wasn’t suicidal enough to let Kairi fly. The nightmares had stopped, whatever had been happening was over, and Sora was alive, he could still sense that much. Every night he went to sleep reaching, calling Sora’s name, but there was never any response. He had attempted to Dive so many times, but nothing ever happened. Where they still too far apart?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thirteen sat on an empty cargo container, staring out at space, unable to help cataloguing star systems. He had spoken with the Doctor about his strange reaction to events when the astrometrics lab was opened and had been scanned but nothing was wrong. Still, he could not help the feeling that something had happened, something to do with time. He knew time travel was possible, the Borg had used it to try and assimilate Earth before they could make contact with the Vulcans, they had failed. So had someone attempted to change time? He felt like he had lost something but he did not know what, so it was irrelevant, was it not?

He was going over and over his options, unable to come to a decision, something he was unused to. Everything had been so definite in the Collective, no indecision, much easier in. a way. In the end, he had to know. His Regeneration cycles had been disturbed and he did not like it. He kept hearing a voice calling out one word, Sora. It hurt…like he should know the voice, know what the word meant. It had been several Earth standard months since he had woken in Sickbay, surely if he was going to remember without help then something would have returned, but he was as blank as ever.

He got up and went to the computer console that would accept his use, in a limited manner. He was still very restricted but he understood and even agreed with that. He had enjoyed helping finish set up astrometrics but other than discussing theoretical ideas with Harry, there had been no more work. He had received access to educational files, information on Starfleet regulations as well as the Academy curriculum. Seven said it was a good sign, that he was being prepared to take a place among the crew that would suite his talents.

He hesitated but then touched the appropriate control. “Computer please contact Commander Tuvok if he is available.”

_“Tuvok here,”_ the answer came after a few moments. _“Thirteen?”_

“Yes Commander. Is the offer you made still available?” he asked nervously.

_“Indeed. I shall contact the Doctor to arrange the necessary monitoring for the attempt. I recommend that you be fully rested as well. I will be off duty ship day tomorrow, will that suit?”_

“Yes sir, thank you.”

_“Very well, I shall meet you in Sickbay at 0930.”_

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tuvok sat in the chair that the Doctor had provided, an empty one before him. He had arrived before the allotted time in order to prepare himself for what was to come. He had spent the night resting and meditating to ensure he was ready. He had never mind melded with someone who had been part of the Collective, he was not sure if any Vulcan had which left a lot of unknowns. Logically, aiding Thirteen in regaining his former self made sense, however the unknown factors made it riskier than many of his people would accept.

The doors opened and Thirteen stepped inside, looking around, seeing him sitting and waiting. “Thank you Sir,” the teenager said as he walked over.

“There is no guarantee of success,” he warned.

“I know, but you are willing to try, so thank you.” He sat down, unlike most humans he didn’t fidget or shift, like Seven.

“Are you both sure about this gentlemen?” the Doctor asked.

“Indeed,” Tuvok agreed, glancing at Thirteen who nodded.

“Very well, I shall be monitoring you throughout the session, if things become too dangerous I will terminate it,” he warned, attaching the sensors to them. He then moved to his console and activated it. “When you are ready.”

“Try and relax Thirteen. If at any point you wish to stop, think of it and we will stop,” Tuvok told him, the human nodding. Tuvok carefully places both hands on his face, wanting as secure a connection as possible. “My mind to your mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts. Our minds are merging, our minds are becoming one,” he began the process, reaching for Thirteen’s mind.

He felt their minds joining, felt the memories of the Borg, of the Collective, pushing passed them, further back. It was illogical to dwell on those when seeing them was not the purpose of the exercise. He found the scattered memories of Thirteen’s Assimilation easily enough but beyond that…was nothing. That should not be possible, his mind was physically intact, even with those suffering amnesia there was something there. He had to go deeper.

“Thirteen please try to calm yourself, your adrenaline levels are rising,” the Doctor’s voice was distant, and Tuvok was aware of Thirteen’s distress.

Very carefully, he shared some of his own memories; of meditation and learning emotional control. He had to be careful to impart only knowledge of the skills, he did not wish to influence his slowly emerging personality.

Tuvok moved deeper into the emptiness, searching for something…and found himself blinking in bright sunlight. He appeared to be standing on a sandy shoreline, a tropical island in fact. A memory. He turned, hearing laughter, to see three young children racing across the sand. His gaze fell on the smaller of the two boys, facial features and eye colour were a match, it was Thirteen as a young child.

“You shouldn’t be here,” a male voice called, and Tuvok turned to see the same boy but older, perhaps sixteen earth years, staring at him warily. He did not appear to be fully solid either, almost insubstantial.

From the various estimations he would assume that the memory was from around the time he was assimilated, which was logical if it was acting as a defence of his memories. How that was possible, he did not know, he had never heard of anyone able to do such a thing when faced with the Collective. Not even species who were telepathic or had incredible mental abilities were unable to resist the Collective gaining access to all they knew.

“You need to leave, it isn’t safe.” The boy moved his hand, and a strange weapon appeared. He had never seen anything like it but it appeared to be some kind of blade.

“Thirteen,” he called the only name they had for the ex-drone, and his stance shifted from wary to combative, he definitely knew how to use the weapon.

“Who are you? Are you with the Organisation?”

“I am Lieutenant Commander Tuvok of Starfleet, Chief of Security aboard the USS Voyager. We are physically within the Sickbay of said vessel. You agreed to the mind meld to try and retrieve your lost memories,” he reminded him.

“What?” The boy backed away, and Tuvok understood, this version did not recognise him.

“Is this your home? It is quite peaceful,” he offered, trying to calm things down before the Doctor decided to stop the session. He had never experienced a mind meld like it and he did wonder if Thirteen had latent mental gifts of some sort. It was rare in humans but not impossible.

“The Destiny Islands,” the boy answered, looking to the three racing obliviously across the sand. He looked back to Tuvok. “You’re not human?”

“Correct, I am a Vulcan, we are a species gifted with certain telepathic abilities which is how we are conversing in your mind. Our bodies are seated in chairs opposite each other in Sickbay, under the supervision of the Doctor. You contacted me last night and agreed to the offer I made you some time ago to help you remember who you are.”

“I forgot?” he frowned, the weapon vanishing. “Tell me I didn’t fall asleep for another year,” he muttered, which made no sense to Tuvok.

“You were…injured, by another species. They altered your body and attempted to do so with your mind. We do not know if your memory loss occurred before or during this.” Too much detail too quickly may distress him and cause the Doctor to end the session prematurely.

“Pain…” he whispered. “Voices…” he shook his head. “Out there, I don’t remember?” he asked, and Tuvok nodded. “Anything?”

“Indeed. You have been using the designation they gave you until either you remember or chose another.”

“Sora…my name is Sora,” he whispered, smiling sadly.

Tuvok suddenly found himself back in the chair, Thirteen…Sora gasping, falling from the chair, the Doctor moving to his side with a hypo.

“Thirteen, I need you to breath otherwise I will have to sedate you,” the Doctor stated firmly but as gently as he could, kneeling beside the trembling form, and Tuvok stood, kneeling as well.

“Sora,” Tuvok said, and the EMH glanced at him. “His name is Sora,” he explained.

The Doctor nodded and gripped Sora’s shoulder. “I need you to breath with me Sora, you need to calm down,” he urged.

“Focus on your breathing,” Tuvok began coaching him in the beginning meditation lessons that he had imparted, and as he had expected, Sora began to instinctively match his breathing.

“Sora….my name is Sora,” he whispered staring up at Tuvok, and he nodded. “Thank you.”

“Congratulations Sora,” the Doctor offered, running a tricorder over him and then Tuvok. “Do you remember anything else?”

Sora frowned, staring up at the ceiling, but then he slowly shook his head. “No, there is nothing.”

“What happened, both of your brains were incredibly active,” the Doctor looked between them.

“I have never experienced a meld like it,” Tuvok admitted. He explained what he had experienced, Sora listening intently even as he was helped up and onto a biobed to rest.

“A beach?” he tipped his head to the side slightly, not seeming to know what that was. “Oh, I see.”

“Sora?” the Doctor asked.

“Common geological knowledge of many species and planet types is stored within the Collective.”

“Perhaps Commander, some time on the Holodeck could be arranged, supervised if necessary. A Borg index is not how he should recognise a beach,” the Doctor suggested, and Tuvok nodded.

“I shall program it myself to as close to your memory as possible, perhaps that shall help prompt you to consciously remember. I will endeavour to create an accurate image of the children as well.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Good evening Thirteen,” Seven nodded to him as he entered the cargo bay. “Are you well?” she asked when she saw him.

“My name is Sora,” he told her tiredly, looking drained, and she moved to his side, guiding him to his alcove.

“You remembered?” she asked as she initiated the Regeneration cycle in his alcove for him.

“Commander Tuvok did a mind meld but…when I Regenerate I hear a voice saying Sora, yelling it, he sounds scared. Why is he scared?” Thir…Sora asked before his eyes shut as the cycle began.

She ran her hand gently over the incredibly short hair before she realised what she was doing. She checked the readouts to ensure he was properly in Regeneration and then moved to her own alcove. She was pleased that he now knew his own name, although if he did not recognise the voice calling his name then it seemed all of his memories had not returned.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Scattered black lines were slowly forming over clear glass which darkened slightly in sections, no longer see-through.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku was sparing with Terra when he suddenly dropped, Keyblade falling from his hand. They had only arrived back the day before, needing to rest and re-charge, and to let the others know they were alright.

Terra barely managed to pull his blow, turning aside so as not to trip over the falling body. “Riku!” he called in alarm, sliding on his knees to grab the younger man before his head could slam into the ground. “AQUA!” he yelled as he supported Riku’s limp form.

Aqua ran from the nearby training field, Kairi and Roxas on her heels. Ventus, Naminé, Lea, and Xion soon rushed from the other side of the training grounds, hearing the urgency of his call.

“Riku!” Kairi yelled as she saw him lying limp.

“What happened?” Roxas asked, visually scanning over Riku.

“I don’t know, he just suddenly went down, I didn’t land a blow,” Terra explained.

Kairi gasping got their attention, her hand pressed to her chest as she stared up at the sky. “Sora?” she whispered.

They all froze and stared at her.

“Kairi?” Roxas demanded urgently. The loss of his other had hit the young ex-Nobody harder than he had expected.

“I…for a second I could swear I felt Sora,” she whispered, tears on her cheeks. Naminé and Xion were soon wrapped around her, offering comfort.

Riku groaned, beginning to stir, Terra still supporting him. His eyes flickered open and for a second they were not the normal cyan but closer to purple but Terra assumed he imagined it as Riku sat up. He stared around at them, trembling slightly. “Sora,” he whispered and then Kairi was in his arms, the two clinging to each other.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora followed Tuvok towards the Holodeck, he knew what they were, understood the technology and how it worked but he had no memory of ever using one. He thought he was excited but also scared, what if seeing the place the memory him had called home did not bring anything back?

“Tuvok,” a voice greeted, and Sora looked up to see the Captain walking towards them. He had not seen her since they had opened the lab so it was a surprise.

Sora found himself suddenly concerned that she would deny him access to the holodeck, even with the Chief of Security escorting him. 

“And congratulations, Sora,” she smiled at him, offering a nod which he returned. “I’ve had the ships records updated with your name and you won’t need an escort to run the basic Holoprograms for recreation.”

“Thank you Captain.” So fast? That was surprising, and yet it almost felt like he had had that freedom before, even though he knew it had not.

“You are a member of this crew now Sora, Voyager is your home. When the Doctor clears you and you feel ready, we’ll see about finding you something you would like to do to help, such as the help you gave with the new lab. Are you enjoying the lessons?”

“Yes Captain, they are very informative. They explain much more than simply having data in my head. And of course I will do anything I can to help.” He did not wish for them to regret helping him or to become a drain on their resources.

“No Sora, you aren’t paying us for freeing you. You need to find something that you like to do and that may take some time. Now, enjoy your day at the beach,” she patted his shoulder and then walked away, Sora watching her.

“The Captain is correct, Sora. We have a long voyage before us to reach Federation space. While all of the crew help as needed in emergencies, we prefer that the duties assigned are ones that they are not only well suited for but find fulfilling.”

“Oh,” that was very different to the Borg but of course it was. The crew were not part of a Collective, they were individuals, with different abilities and likes. The only skills he had were ones given to him by the Collective, he did not know what he did before then.

“Are you ready?” the Commander asked as he used the control panel outside of the holodeck.

“Yes sir.”

The doors opened and he hesitated before stepping through, blinking in the bright light, his implant handling the light for that eye, the other struggling to adapt after the artificial lighting of the ship. He stared at the island he was standing on, looking around in wonder. He heard laughter and turned, seeing three children running across the sand. He stared hard at them, trying to remember something, anything…

“Come on Sora!” the silver haired boy called, and he sank to his knees. That voice! It took an instant to mentally age it, the voice that screamed his name. Who was he?

“Are you well Sora?” Tuvok asked, and Sora looked up at him in confusion before touching his face, feeling the wetness there…tears, they were tears, he was crying.

“I hear him screaming my name when I Regenerate, older, but it is him.”

“Can you detect anything from the scream? Is there anger, desperation, fear perhaps?”

“Fear, he is afraid. Did I…hurt him?” No, he had been the only human on the planet where the Borg took him, he had not harmed the other while mid-assimilation, he could not have.

“It may be fear for you, not of you,” Tuvok offered. “Were others assimilated at the same time as you?”

“Yes, but they were all of species 116. The Borg found me in an impact crater as they were collecting others for assimilation. They nearly left me for dead.” It was strange that they had not asked him for more information on his life as a drone.

“I am pleased they did not as we would have never met you then, although you should not have had to suffer as you have,” Tuvok told him. “And that means it is possible your friend is alive,” he paused in thought, and Sora waited. “That is a species native to the Delta Quadrant, but humans are native to the Alpha Quadrant, seventy lightyears away.”

“And somehow I ended up here,” Sora whispered, running holographic sand through his fingers, ignoring the data from his optical implant, to let himself believe it was real. “I obviously was raised with other humans. Is this enough to try and match the world from the database?” he did not recognise it from any world he could call up from the Collective.

“Unfortunately not,” Tuvok answered, although Sora had expected it. One small island was not much information to go on.

Sora stood and began to walk across the beach to the small waterfall, seeing the simple wooden constructs. He looked up, staring… “There should be a cave or tunnel there…a door…” he whispered, and then he pressed his hands to his head, gasping.

“Breath Sora, centre yourself,” Tuvok coached him through it, and Sora let the meditation lessons come to the front of his mind.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

A section of glass darkened further, the colour shifting until it was a light red in colour, several lines becoming thicker, more obvious.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku landed the ship and exited, walking towards the castle, smiling when Ventus waved at him, jogging over. “Hi Ven, do you know why Aqua called me?”

Ventus just grinned, hands behind his head, and for the millionth time Riku wondered who had that move first, Ventus or Sora? “It’s a surprise. Come on.”

Riku followed Ventus through the Castle that was so different to the one he had once had to fight through. They went to a part he hadn’t seen before, workrooms of various types. Ven knocked on a door and then opened it, pushing Riku in ahead of him.

“You made good time,” Terra smiled at him.

“Cid upgraded the ship,” he answered, looking between the three of them. “What is it?”

“If you’re going after Sora then you may need to go places a gummi ship can’t,” Aqua told him, and Riku nodded, he wasn’t sure what he’d do then. She smiled and stepped back, pulling down a cloth, and Riku’s eyes went utterly wide in shock.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry grinned as Sora looked around the old fashioned building curiously, even if it was only a Holoprogram. It was good to see him expressing more emotion than he had at first.

“Welcome to Sandríne's, Sora,” Tom called.

“Is he even old enough to drink?” Crewman Porter called out but it wasn’t malicious, it was teasing.

“Not like Synthehol’s real alcohol,” someone else called out.

“You don’t need to drink,” Harry told him, placing a hand on his shoulder to guide him through the crowds and holographic smoke.

It was good for him to spend time with the rest of the crew and they all hoped being around people would help jog more of his memory. He would be with them for a long time and he couldn’t spend the next seventy odd years isolating himself.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Naomi smiled and sat down beside Sora, putting down the PADDs with her schoolwork. He watched her work before actually looking at it. Soon they were talking about the lesson, helping him understand information he technically had ‘memorised’ but knowing it by rote did not mean true understanding, he was coming to well…understand that. He brushed some spikes away from his eyes and she grinned. Thanks to the Doctor’s help his hair was the same length as it had been before his assimilation, the same as the memory Commander Tuvok had seen. It was wild and spikey, and Seven had asked him if it was a separate lifeform due to how uncontrollable it was, but it felt good, it felt right.

,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku called out for Sora and for the first time, he felt a reaction in the link. Hesitance, curiosity, almost…fear? He reached back, trying to offer comfort, but Sora pulled away. Why?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora stepped down from his alcove, blinking, before looking over at Seven. “Riku, his name is Riku,” he told her shakily, and she nodded, smiling slightly.

Two weeks later he remembered another name, Kairi, the girl on the beach.

_TBC…_


	5. ch5

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 5**

Tuvok sat opposite Sora, guiding him through the exercises. Sora was not attempting to remove emotion as Vulcans did, but he did need to be able to control them for his own health. Too strong an emotion could cause his implants to react to the perceived threat. They had undergone two further mind melds and they would perform another after meditation. He had not been confronted by the memory form of a younger Sora again the way he had the first time but it had also not taken quite as much work to find buried memories.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

_“Red Alert! All hands to battle stations!”_

Sora stiffened in alarm, unable to say why red alert caused him to react like that, it had not before…before that day in astrometrics. He looked at Naomi who had tensed, he could see her pulse jump in her throat, the slight dilation of her pupils. A glance at the kitchen showed Neelix moving around to get everything stowed safely. It was up to him to keep her calm then. “This happens far too often,” he commented. “The lights and alarms are rather annoying,” he stated flatly, and she stared at him before giggling. He smiled and picked up her PADD, quickly finding something to keep her occupied.

The ship shuddered under weapons fire and she shifted closer so he picked her up and settled her in his lap. He may no longer have exo-plating but his body was still stronger and sturdier than a normal humans. He would keep her safe. He looked up and saw Neelix smiling at him, ducking his head, feeling…embarrassed?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku was once again in the lab at Radiant Gardens, the three scientists hovering around him. He ignored the equipment and closed his eyes, reaching for the link, it felt stronger to him, he could truly sense it without having to focus all of his attention for several minutes, although he sensed very little through it, distance? Or something else? Sora had only reached back that once, there had been nothing from him since.

“All done,” Ienzo told him some time later.

“And?” he looked between them, watching as Ansem smiled.

“Do bring young Sora home soon,” he answered, and Riku slumped back in relief.

Finally, he could go after Sora using the link, which meant going alone this time. Kairi knew that so she would remain in the Land of Departure to work with Aqua. She could not go with him when he Dove after all, and that would leave her alone, likely very far from backup.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora walked into Engineering, nervous, his brand new combadge pinned to the chest of his form-fitting bodysuit, a blue so dark it almost appeared black. He was really part of the crew now, he did not want to let them down. “Mr Sora, you’re on time, good.” Chief engineer B'Elanna Torres greeted him. “Welcome to engineering.”

“Thank you Lieutenant.”

“Let’s get started. We’ve been working on the transwarp coils we salvaged from the cube, think you can keep up?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Well, we’ll see.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“So what did you think of Sora?” Tom asked as he set the table.

“He’s quiet and a hard worker, I had to order him to take breaks,” she admitted as she sat down.

“Try and get him interacting with the others.”

“They’re very different to each other,” she admitted, she hadn’t really interacted with Sora before after all, outside of the party to celebrate astrometrics.

“Why would they be alike?” he asked her as he poured the drinks. “The only thing they have in common is being assimilated and then ending up here. He’s very much a child in many ways B’Elanna, without his memory, he’s barely over two years old, everything he knows came right from the Collective. He’s more open to emotion than Seven but he is also more confused by it too.”

She sighed but nodded. “You’re right, I can’t judge him by Seven’s behaviour. He’s smart, willing to listen, and just kind of disappears into the background.”

“So nothing at all like Seven…or you,” he smirked and she tossed her fork at him which he dodged. Dating someone with a Klingon temper could be dangerous, especially when he teased her.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora followed Tom into a set of quarters, seeing no trace of anything personal in them. “Are these yours?” he asked in confusion.

“No Sora, they’re yours,” Tom was grinning.

“I do not understand.”

“Well making you and Seven share the cargo bay all the time is hardly fair or appropriate. You’ll still need to Regenerate there, but now you both also have your own private quarters. That doesn’t mean you get to hide away in here when not Regenerating or on duty,” Tom warned, and Sora nodded, still shocked by the gesture.

He felt like part of the crew already but he had no thought he would be given quarters, not when space was at such a premium on board.

“They’re just standard crew quarters, but you can do what you like to decorate. You have your own replicator, but it still works on rationing. You have your own facilities in here, no bath but can you even take a bath with…” Tom motioned at his body.

“Borg implants are waterproof. Wouldn’t want the Drones to fry in the rain,” he smirked slightly, and Tom chuckled, shaking his head.

“Good point,” he agreed.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

It was good to see the smirk, to see him showing more and more personality as time passed. He was often hesitant and unsure, and they all figured it was the memory loss on top of recovering from Assimilation. He was more open around those who knew the best, especially Naomi. Who knew being around a kid would be so good for their resident ex-Borg?

Sora was finding his feet, B’Elanna praised both his work and his worth ethic which was amazing with how exacting she was. He was even talking with others among the crew off duty. Thanks to Seven already being part of the crew at least Sora wasn’t facing the snide comments she’d had to deal with, or the distrust. Although, his age probably helped there too.

He’d been the one to talk to the Captain about assigning both of them their own quarters, to give them privacy and somewhere to be alone. Sora was a good kid, he wasn’t any kind of threat and it seemed that the Captain agreed, although several restrictions would remain for some time. The rules existed for a reason and Seven was still under several restrictions too.

,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Telepathy. I don't like it, never have. It's bad for negotiations, it's bad for relationships, and it's certainly been bad for B'Elanna,” Neelix shook his head as they packed to return to Voyager with the supplies.

“The fault was her own,” Seven told him and Neelix looked at her.

Sora paused in his own work. He was…worried about B’Elanna. She was his supervisor and she had been kind to him. She took the time to teach him, to answer his questions. He had read the Starfleet protocols but under the circumstances he did not agree with them.

“What are you talking about?” Neelix asked her.

“She was careless with her thoughts. The result was violence.”

“B'Elanna's not used to being around telepaths. That doesn't make her guilty.”

“Then her crime was ignorance. A common affliction among your crew,” Seven pointed out.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“You make contact with alien species without sufficient understanding of their nature. As a result, Voyager's directive to seek out new civilisations often ends in conflict.”

“What you call ignorance, we call exploration. And sometimes it means taking a few risks. But it's certainly better than assimilating everything in your path.”

“Your goal is to share knowledge. Assimilation is the perfect means of attaining that goal.”

“No, it is not,” he spoke up and they both looked at him. “All I have is the Collectives’ knowledge and it is not perfect. There is nothing on social interactions which is most detrimental. It is all facts and figures as Tom put it.”

“Perfect?” Neelix asked her, seeming amused, but Sora’s disagreement with her?

“Idiot! Watch what you're doing!”

Sora tilted his head, hearing the yell, so out of place on the planet. He turned in the direction it had come from, taking a step, but then there was scream. The three of them rushed over to find an old woman standing over a younger one, bloodied knife in hand.

Neelix knelt down shakily and Sora joined him, checking the woman himself.

“She is dead. I am sorry Neelix.” He recognised her, the young woman that Neelix had been spending time with.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora stepped down from his alcove, puzzled. He still heard his name being shouted, always Riku’s voice. Now and again though, he could feel something strange, as if foreign emotions, not his own, reaching out to him. How was that possible. Was it something he should bring to attention?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kairi hugged him tightly and Riku clung on just as tightly to her. They didn’t know how long he’d be gone, but he wasn’t coming back until he found Sora. “Be careful, please,” she begged.

“I’ll do my best,” was all he could promise. They weren’t children anymore, they had been through so much, it was hard to believe he’d be twenty one soon. Would he even recognise Sora anymore? He’d been sixteen when he vanished. No, no matter what, he would always know Sora.

She kissed him and he held her close, a hand in her hair. He eventually pulled away and boarded the ship, taking off and leaving the Destiny Islands behind. Who knew when he’d see them next? He would not fail, he would not leave Kairi to live without them there. No, they’d only returned briefly, she would leave in a day or two for the Land of Departure. If they did not return, he knew she could live there or on any World if she wished.

He didn’t like leaving her behind, they’d done that to her too frequently as teens. It was too dangerous for her to go though, they still travelled in pairs for safety. Her flying skills weren’t the best which would mean she would be alone on the ship when he was going to Dive as soon as he could and may need to abandon the ship altogether.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tuvok removed his fingers from Sora’s face, the meld over. Despite the ongoing trouble, he had refused to cancel their appointment. He had made a commitment to help Sora with his memory. It was hard to try and bring up a whole memory, only snatches appearing.

“Commander?”

“Yes Sora?”

“I understand you are returning to the planet to continue investigating?”

“That is correct,” he nodded and stood.

“May I accompany you?” he asked, which Tuvok hadn’t expected.

“If I may ask why?”

“Lieutenant Torres has been…good to me. As someone who has lost their memories, I do not want her to have to have her mind touched in that way. I wish to help.”

Tuvok considered it. ‘Your observation skills may indeed be helpful,” he said after some thought.

“Thank you sir.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Mister Guill. I'm Commander Tuvok, Voyager's Chief of Security. This is Mr Sora.”

Being introduced by his name and not a number was still a new thing but it felt right. He did not speak as he was there to observe, discreetly using everything, including his ability to see in different ranges than a human, to examine the man before them.

“My children get upset when I'm late for supper. If you're here to do business we can make an appointment for tomorrow.”

“I'm here to talk to you about the attack,” Tuvok informed him.

“Why me?”

Was that fluctuation when Tuvok told him their purpose in being there? Interesting.

“My crewmate, Lieutenant Torres, has been charged with the crime. I believe you're acquainted with her.”

“Lieutenant Torres, yes. She was arrested?”

Sora studied him closer, sure that the question was irrelevant, the man already knew of the arrest, so why act surprised?

“The Chief Examiner believes it was her violent thought which prompted the beating.”

“Ah. She seemed like such a pleasant young woman.”

“Apparently she was almost knocked over while doing business with you. Do you recall that?”

“Yes. A man accidentally ran into her. You're not like the others from your ship, are you? You're a telepath.”

“That is correct.” Tuvok agreed.

“And you…Mr Sora?”

“No Sir, I am not.”

“Why are you so curious about what happened?” Guill continued finishing closing up.

“I am conducting my own investigation of the crime.”

“I see. For a moment I thought you had another reason for asking. You struggle with violent thoughts as well. Terrible images, but they're hidden deep within your mind.”

“I am in control of those images. All members of the Vulcan race learn to inhibit emotions. If my unconscious thoughts are disturbing you, I will attempt to suppress them further.”

“No, please, don't trouble yourself. I can't see them clearly enough to be affected,” he looked to Sora. “I sense nothing like that from you.”

Sora glanced at Tuvok who nodded slightly. “I lost my memory and I have implants that inhibit strong emotions,” he answered.

“Very interesting.”

“I sense that you are fascinated with my unconscious thoughts. That you would like to see more of them if you could,” Tuvok guided the conversation away from Sora, for which he was glad.

“No. I was just thinking, maybe I could help you.”

“Help me?”

“In learning how to deal with these dark impulses.”

That offer had Sora on alert. He did not think he liked the man at all, there was something off about him. For a second the image of a man…and alien?....with blue fire like hair.

“No, thank you. I have sufficient means of controlling them.,” Tuvok informed him.

“I'm sure you do. Any other questions?”

“No,” the Commander denied.

“Then if you'll excuse me, I really can't be late for the table.”

“He was withholding information and his reaction to the Lieutenants’ arrest was false,” Sora pointed out. 

“Indeed. We will follow, separately, in case it is an ambush. Be careful.”

Sora nodded and waited while Tuvok began following merchant, before he began to follow Tuvok.

Even with his enhanced hearing, he was too far to hear what Guill said to the man he met up with, although Tuvok was close enough to hear them. He glanced down as his combadge chirped, activating it. He blinked but then nodded as the conversation came through once Tuvok joined the men.

_“Why are you following us?”_ That was Guill.

_“I was thinking about what you said. Your interest in my unconscious thoughts. Perhaps we could help each other.”_

_“How would we do that?”_

_“By telepathically exchanging violent images. That is what you want, isn't it? To see what's buried in my unconscious,”_ Tuvok answered.

_“Who is he?”_ That was the third man.

_“Quiet. Why should I trust you?”_

_“Because you know we are very much alike. Perhaps I was mistaken.”_

_“Wait. Maybe we can be of use to each other, but you'll have to get rid of this.”_

He did not like the sound of that, there was an odd sound and then the talking dropped in volume.

_“Come back later, Malin. If I'm right, I'll have thoughts to share that are darker than anything you could imagine.”_ There was silence for some time. _“Well?”_

_“Fascinating.”_

_“Now. Show me.”_

_“I'll need a few moments to recover,”_ Tuvok told the merchant.

_“I'm surprised you're so easily tired. Your telepathic abilities are strong.”_

_“It is not often that I exercise those skills.”_ For a Vulcan that was close to a lie as he had been getting a lot of exercise in melding with Sora.

_“There must be violent thoughts to be had from your shipmates, whether they want to share them or not. After all, they couldn't stop a telepath from probing their minds, could they?”_

Sora had never considered how hard it would be on a starship for anyone with telepathic or even empathic abilities.

_“Is that how you acquire your merchandise? “_

_“Sometimes I buy, sometimes I find a person like you who's willing to share, and yes, when the opportunity presents itself, I take what I need.”_

_“Which is what you did to Lieutenant Torres.”_

Sora frowned as Tuvok began leading the conversation, attempting to get a confession from the man. Would it be enough? If necessary, Sora would allow the information to be copied from his cortical implant.

_“Enough! It's time you gave me what you promised,”_ Guill snapped.

_“The only person you'll be sharing thoughts with tonight is the Chief Examiner,”_ Tuvok turned in Sora’s direction to leave.

_“Where are you going?”_ the third man had returned and was blocking Tuvok’s way.

Sora prepared to step in, wishing he had permission to carry a phaser. It would be easier if he could stun them should they attempted to stop the Commander.

_“Stand aside.”_

_“Tuvok's taking me into custody.”_

_“No!”_

Sora moved, he grabbed the man’s arm, flipping him off his feet, a gentle, calculated tap to the head rendering him unconscious. Guill turned to flee and Tuvok knocked him out with a nerve pinch.

“Thank you for your assistance Sora.”

“I was happy to help Commander. Should we contact local law enforcement?”

“Indeed.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Enter,” Sora called, setting aside the PADD he had been using to study, surprised to have a visitor. “Lieutenant, is there a problem?”

“No, Sora. I came to thank you. Commander Tuvok told me about your role in getting me released.”

“No thanks are necessary, it is not right for them to make other species follow those particular laws. If they wish contact with other species then they need to make allowances for the fact that others do not have their mental control. And…”

“And?” she asked.

“You have been kind to me, I did not wish for you to suffer any alteration to your mind. It is not something that should ever be done.”

“Like it was done to you,” she said and he nodded. She put a hand on his shoulder. “Thank you Sora.” She smiled and he smiled back. “Now, I expect you at 0800 for your shift.”

“I will be there.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora’s fingers flew easily over the console, equations and theoretical simulations flying across the screen, his implants allowing him to take in the information far quicker than other humans. Nothing was working and he did not understand why, neither did Lieutenant Torres. He knew how to alter Voyagers’ systems through assimilation, but that was not what they wanted. Borg technology had already been integrated into the ship so why could they not get the transwarp coils to work? He did not even notice when he occasionally rubbed his chest.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku sat on the bunk in his ship, Keyblade across his lap. The link was stronger now but had not increased, he didn’t know where to go next. All he could think to do, was to attempt to Dive into Sora’s dreams, to reach him there somehow. Of course, he needed to know when Sora was actually sleeping. He’d tried twice already with no result and was ready to try again.

Riku reached for their link and lifted his Keyblade, Braveheart, feeling the power thrum threw it and he knew, this time it would work.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

He was on the Island somehow…he was not on the holodeck, he was Regenerating. He remembered going to his alcove, was still distantly aware of it as Regeneration was not actually sleep, it was closer to stasis, his mind aware. A Drone did not dream when connected to the Collective, its mental capacity was apportioned to various tasks while the body remained in the alcove. Without the Collective it was different, lonely, and while the crew was becoming a surrogate Collective, they were not linked. He thought if he remembered more, he would miss having other voices in his head less.

He walked across the sand, was this what it was like to dream? It was very different to simply hearing a voice screaming one word. It almost felt real, it was as vibrant as anything the holodeck could create.

“Sora?” a voice called, and Sora turned around. It wasn’t the child’s voice but the one he heard screaming his name. Standing in front of him was someone his own age, hair shorter than the child’s, body taller, fit and strong. “I found you,” he smiled and reached out, and Sora stepped back, looking around.

He did not dream, so what was happening? The memory flashed he had were not interactive and yet this image could see him. “Who are you?” he demanded, and that made the silver haired male freeze.

“Sora? It’s me, Riku. I never gave up, neither did Kairi. We’ve been searching all this time.”

“How are you doing this?” he asked warily. “I do not dream. I am in my Regeneration alcove.”

“Your what?” he frowned in seeming confusion. “Sora, I’m your Dream Eater. Don’t…don’t you recognise me?”

“Dream Eater? What is that?” he had never heard that term before but it did not sound good.

“Sora where are you? What happened?” he sounded worried

“This is not real, I need to see the Doctor,” he backed away, but then the thing that looked like the boy in his memory moved, grabbing his hands, and Sora froze, staring up into cyan eyes. There was so much emotion there, he could not bring himself to look away.

One of his hands was released so that Riku, or the being using his appearance, could touch his cheek. “Sora please, this is real. I have the ability to enter your dreams, I have since you were sixteen and we faced the Mark of Mastery. Have you…really forgotten me?”

_TBC…_


	6. ch6

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 6**

Riku stared down at Sora, in the dream he looked like how he remembered. Sora moving away from him, saying he wasn’t real, that hurt so much. No wonder the bond had snapped, if Sora had forgotten him…he stroked the soft cheek under his hand. “Please Sora, try to remember. I’m coming to you but I’ve hit a dead end. I need you to guide me the rest of the way.” He pressed his forehead to Sora’s and began to hum the song they had created in the Symphony of Sorcery to free Mickey, made from two Sound Ideas, one each.

He stared into blue eyes, praying for any sign of recognition. It was a million times worse than Castle Oblivion. He hadn’t seen Sora with his altered memories and even if he had, Sora still would have known him there. His own memories of Sora had faded, he’d never lost them fully like so many had, but they had been hazy until near the end of the restoration.

He felt Sora tremble slightly and fought back tears at how wary he was. Even when they’d fought at Hollow Bastion, Sora had been afraid for him, not of him.

“R…Riku?” Sora asked, eyes wandering over his face.

“It’s me Sora, I’m here,” he swore. He couldn’t help stroking Sora’s cheek, wondering what he truly looked like now.

“I do not understand. Are you telepathic? Human telepaths are so rare and the scans show my original species is human.”

Riku didn’t know what to think or say to that. ‘Original species’ kind of terrified him though. “I’m human, I’m also a Dream Eater, your Dream Eater. You were attacked in your Dreams and I entered them without realising it to protect you, becoming a Dream Eater. That bond snapped just after you disappeared, the last thing I felt from you was pain and terror. It came back so gradually I didn’t even realise it at first and then I had to wait for it to become strong enough to use without risking damage to either of us.”

Whatever had happened to Sora, they could deal with it once he physically found him. He wanted to hug him, hold him close and never let go, but he knew it would be too much for Sora if he didn’t know him anymore. “I would never hurt you Sora, you are the best friend I could ever wish for. Yes, there was…trouble when you were fourteen, but you forgave me even when I couldn’t forgive myself. You’ve always been the light to me Sora, so please, show me the way,” he pleaded.

“I do not know how,” Sora whispered, staring up at him, and Riku saw it, a flicker of recognition.

“Yes you do, in here,” he moved his hand to rest over Sora’s heart. He looked up as the beach scene flickered, seeing the dim image of three children down by the water. So Sora did remember something of him.

Sora followed his gaze to the children. “The girl, her name, is it Kairi?” Sora asked.

“Yeah, that’s Kairi. She’s our best friend, we’ve all been through so much together,” Riku explained.

The beach flickered again. “My Regeneration cycle is ending.”

“Is it always at the same time?” Riku asked, not sure what it was but he figured it was another way of saying sleep. Sora hesitated but then nodded. “I’m coming Sora, I will find you,” he swore even as the dream world faded and he found himself back on the ship.

He'd found him! There was so much that he’d said…he hesitated but then picked up his Gummiphone to call Ienzo. Of the scientists, he was the easiest to get along with. He would need to call Kairi too and let her know he’d finally made real contact….and to warn her that Sora didn’t remember them.

So much of what he’d said made no sense to Riku, but it wasn’t just that, even the way he talked was different, it felt stiff and formal. Was that because he’d lost his memory? He had to believe that Sora would remember someday, he’d seen that flicker, and Sora had seemed to almost recognise him at the beginning. The three kids on the beach, they hadn’t come from him, that had been Sora’s memory. Which meant at least some of his memories were still there.

There was hope, he just had to physically find him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora opened his eyes on the cargo bay, internal chronometer telling him he had two hours before his shift began. He stepped down from his alcove, mind spinning.

“Sora?” Seven called, and he looked over at her. “You were slow coming out of your cycle, is everything alright?”

“I do not know. Do you dream?” he asked.

Seven stared at him. “No, did you dream?” she asked.

“I think I might have. But I was still aware of being in my alcove. And I saw him, Riku, but my age, not the child. He said he is trying to find me.”

“There are species that can infiltrate the sleeping mind, but Regeneration is not sleep,” she agreed. “You should report to the Doctor for a scan, if necessary Commander Tuvok could provide a telepathic examination if you still feel unsettled. Just remember to inform Lieutenant Torres if you will be late or unable to make your shift.”

“Thank you Seven.” He was always grateful for her advice. She had been free for longer than he had, knew more about how to deal with all of the changes.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Doctor ran the scanners over Sora, looking for any change in chemicals within his body, especially his brain. “All of your scans are coming back normal Sora. Little is known about the long term effects for freed members of the Collective. There have been too few, most have been killed in battle and Captain Picard is not a relevant comparison due to the vast difference in age and remaining technology. You are also physically younger than any of the others, your body still finishing its development. It is possible that your mind could be finding a way to dream in order to deal with everything. If you are still concerned, I can contact Commander Tuvok.”

“I think that may be best for the safety of the ship,” the boy told him, and the Doctor nodded, moving to contact Tuvok.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tuvok slowly ended the mind meld, sitting back as Sora blinked back to full awareness. “It is a memory, not simply a dream. As far as I am able to discern, that conversation truly happened. I cannot detect any mental tampering, your mind remains as it was.” That was good, Sora had found his place in the crew, to have suspicion brought on him due to dreams could ruin all he been building for his new life.

For someone who had been so badly mentally violated, his news was an obvious relief. “Have you ever heard of Dream Eaters?”

“I have not,” Tuvok admitted. “However, there are still mysterious in the universe.”

“If he is really the Riku from my memories, if he can find me…”

“You are a member of this crew Sora and you will always have a home on Voyager,” he assured the teenager.

He had four children of his own, he knew how difficult such a developmental stage could be and that was with children taught from a young age to control their emotions, and without the Borg being involved. “Do you wish me to speak to the Captain?”

“It is my past that may show up, should I not tell her?” Sora asked.

“Very well, I shall accompany you for support.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Your thoughts?” She asked, looking to her oldest friend.

“If it truly is his friend and he can find Sora, it may be the best thing for him. Having someone he knew with him may speed his memory recovery. I have run a search and there is nothing on the term ‘Dream Eater’. Should he arrive I recommend caution until we are sure of his intentions. Sora has become a part of the crew, he works alongside of us and has made friends, we have a duty to protect him even if he is not a Federation citizen. From what I have glimpsed in Sora’s memories…I do not believe his home has the technology to support his needs.”

“How can that be?”

“There are colony worlds that eschew technology, they may be from one of those. Although that would then raise the question of how his friend could find him.”

“Not to mention travel seventy light years across the galaxy,” she pondered. If the boy was so certain he could find Sora, then they would need to remain on the lookout.

“Indeed.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora sat on the couch in his quarters, reading more about Starfleet rules and procedures, there were a lot, even for someone with the ability to store information. He knew what the Borg had known and considered worth disseminating to the Collective. They had not seen most of it as relevant so he had a lot to learn and he was thankful for the alterations that allowed him to easily memorise it. He was not a member of Starfleet but he was living and working on a Starfleet vessel. Maybe…if he learnt enough, he could join in some way?

One day, they would gain contact with the Federation again, maybe then he would where he came from. If he was a Federation citizen, then he could join Starfleet. He had the feeling that the education files he had access to were part of the Academy curriculum. He thought he might like being part of Starfleet, maybe even an officer one day.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora worked hard, he knew how important what they were doing was and they had a very small window of opportunity. If it worked…he knew how desperately they all wanted to at least get word to their families that they were alive. “Calculations are done,” he announced, sending his work to Seven’s console.

“Consolidating…” she looked up, and smiled at him. “Seven of Nine to Ensign Kim.”

  
_“Kim here.”_

“I'm sending you the interlink frequencies,” she told him.

_“Got it,”_ Harry answered.

_“Seven, how much longer do we have?”_ the Captain asked.

“Sixteen minutes,” Sora answered for her since she was checking a readout.

_“That should do it. The subspace transceiver is at two hundred percent output and online. We're ready,”_ Lieutenant Torres added from Engineering.

_“Open a channel,”_ the Captain ordered, and Sora found himself almost holding his breath in anticipation which was a strange reaction.

_“Open,”_ Harry answered.

_“Starfleet vessel, this is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the starship Voyager. We are in the Delta Quadrant, at coordinates one eight, mark two oh five, mark four seven. Remodulate your signal to match our interlink frequency.”_ When she finished there was silence, everyone waiting.

_“We're receiving a transmission,”_ Tuvok eventually said. The excitement faded as all they heard was a garbled version on the Captain’s message.

_“Seven, what went wrong?”_

“I don't understand. Our readings show that the station picked up our message and relayed it across the entire network.”

“We should try widening the subspace bandwidth and sending the message again,” Sora suggested.

_“Do it,”_ the Captain agreed.

_“Transmitting,”_ Harry said.

“The signal is being relayed. No sign of interference,” Seven told them, and they both watched the monitors. “Wait. It's being deflected back again.”

Sora frowned but ran the simulations again, trying to work out why it was being deflected. They were running out of time.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Sora,” Riku called, and Sora turned to face him, finding once again the young adult and not the child from his memories.

“There should be a tunnel or cave there, should there not,” he pointed up, and he saw Riku grimace.

“Yeah, the Secret Place, we used to play in there, draw on the walls, it leads to the Heart of the World,” Riku walked to him and reached out before stopping. “Can I?” he asked.

“Can you?”

“Touch you,” Riku explained.

Sora stared at him, at his outreached hand, and then slowly lifted his own hand, staring as Riku’s fingers curled around his. He stared at their joined hands and it felt…strange, but… “This…it is familiar?”

“Yes,” Riku whispered, squeezing his hand. “Do you remember?” That was hope, an emotion he saw a lot of among the crew, especially since they had found the array to attempt to signal Starfleet.

“No,” he shook his head, seeing the hope fade. “Sometimes things feel familiar. There was a man a few weeks ago. He was a criminal and nearly had a member of the crew punished for his crime. His actions and personality felt familiar, and I saw something.”

“What did you see?” Riku asked gently.

“A man? He was very strange, his hair was like blue fire.”

That made Riku laugh and even smile. “Sounds like Hades. He forever has a scheme to rule the cosmos.” He reached out with his other hand and Sora remained still, waiting to see what he was doing, feeling his hand move through his hair.

“That feels familiar too,” he told him.

“We’ve always touched a lot, we used to race and tussle on the beach all the time.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It felt familiar! He wanted to cheer at the news. Somewhere inside of Sora, his memories still existed. He was letting him hold his hand and even ruffle his hair without trying to run or back away. Their Sora still existed. “I’m coming Sora, you’re just so far away, it’s taking time.”

“The Delta Quadrant is seventy lightyears away from the Alpha Quadrant.”

“I have no idea what those are,” he admitted. “Sora, where ever you are, you aren’t from there. It’s hard to explain, if you don’t remember. Kairi…she was lost, and you went after her, to bring her home. You knew the risks of what you were doing but you still did and you brought her home. I saw you both, sitting on the Paopu tree, I was running towards you…so happy you were both back but then….you just….you faded away Sora. You were reaching out to me and I couldn’t get there in time,” he took a shaky breath, trying to calm down, and then Sora touched his face.

“You are crying,” he whispered.

“You vanished Sora, right in front of us. There was nothing, no sign, no indication you were still alive. I felt your pain and terror and then there was nothing. We all thought that meant you were gone forever. But you’re right here, where ever here is.”

“How long ago was that?” he asked.

“What?” Riku asked.

“The day you say I disappeared,” he clarified.

“You were sixteen, so was Kairi. I was seventeen. That was almost four years ago. I’ll be twenty one in a month, you’ll be twenty in two months.”

“That…does not make sense.”

“Time doesn’t always run the same. Do you know how long you’ve been there.”

“Two earth standard years and three months with the Borg. It has been almost a year since Voyager found and freed me.”

“Then you’d be almost nineteen, not too much of a difference,” Riku told him. “Sora, please…can I hug you?”

“Why?”

“Because I miss you, and maybe…it will feel familiar too.” Because he loved and missed him but he didn’t dare say it, not yet. He could tell that Sora was nowhere near ready to hear about love. He didn’t seem to understand so much. He still tilted his head the same when thinking though.

“Yes,” Sora finally said, and Riku smiled, slowly moving his arms to wrap around him. Sora stood utterly still, so different to the constant movement he remembered.

He held Sora close, it felt how he remembered, other than Sora standing so stiffly, but then….hesitant arms lifted to wrap around him in return, barely holding on but it was a start. “Does this feel familiar?” he whispered.

“I…do not know.”

“Sora, what did you mean they free,” he fell back, suddenly awake and back on the ship. He sighed and sat up, it was a start. Sora had been a lot less wary this time, hadn’t tried to move away… he scrambled for his Gummiphone to call Kairi and tell her that Sora was finding things familiar, it had to be a good sign. He wished he’d had the chance to finish asking what he meant by freed, but he could do it next time. The idea of Sora forced into slavery, with no memory….it made him feel ill.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Lieutenant Torres. You are recalibrating the relay interface.”

“That's right,” she answered as she worked, wishing it was Seven and not Sora Regenerating at the moment.

“State your reasons for making these modifications.”

“State your reasons, please,” she corrected. “It's not what you say, Seven. It's how you say it.”

“I don't understand.”

She looked up from her work to stare at the other woman. “You may have noticed that some of the crew seem a bit on edge when you're around.”

“I was Borg. I elicit apprehension.”

“No, that's not what I mean, “ she shook her head. “We're not afraid that you're going to assimilate us. We're just not used to…You just…You're rude. Surely you’ve noticed the difference between how people react to you and Sora? He’s been free for less time than you but is more accepted, because of the way he interacts with people.”

“I am rude?”

“Yes. Yes. You order people around, you do things without permission, and whether you realise it or not you come off as a little insulting. You don't even say please or thank you. Look, I don't expect you to change overnight but, try to remember that we are not just a bunch of drones.”

“Your attempt to recalibrate the interface is ill-advised. The risk of disrupting our link is too great.”

“In your opinion. That is exactly what I'm talking about,” dealing with Seven could be so frustrating. It was why she was glad the woman wasn’t working in Engineering. “You haven't even been listening to me. I don't know why I try to talk to you if you don't even… Are we losing the link?” she asked, seeing something in the readings.

“No. We're receiving a transmission from the relay station.”

“The Doctor?” she asked, but her answer came in the form of an alien in armour and facemask.

“What are you?” it demanded.

“I'm Lieutenant Torres of the Starship Voyager,” she answered.

“You are using our technology.”

“You mean the sensor network? We thought that it was abandoned,” the Captain wouldn’t like that, they did not use alien technology without permission.

“It belongs to the Hirogen. Terminate your link.”

“No, no, wait, please. We just,” she growled in frustration as the transmission ended before she could explain.

“The link has been severed.”

Just great!

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora watched as the Doctor appeared in relief, immediately moving to help stabilise his program back into his mobile emitter and then into Voyager’s systems. “Does everything feel right?”

“Indeed, thank you Sora,” he nodded as the doors opened to admit the Captain, Commander Chakotay and Tuvok.

“Doctor report,” the Captain ordered.

“I, I did it,” he grinned.

“You completed the mission?”

“Yes. Once the Romulans were out of the way,” he admitted, and everyone stared at the Doctor, even Sora.

He had never met a Romulan, other than some who were drones, but he had seen the data in the Starfleet database as well as the Collective. That the Doctor had handled them was impressive.

“Romulans?” Tuvok asked for clarification.

“They'd taken over the Prometheus, the ship I was on. But I managed to turn the tables on them with help from a fellow EMH.”

“You got through to Starfleet?” the Commander asked.

“I spoke directly with Headquarters. Apparently, Voyager was declared officially lost fourteen months ago. I set the record straight. I told them everything that's happened to this crew. They said they would contact your families to tell them the news and promised that they won't stop until they've found a way to get Voyager back home. And they asked me to relay a message. They wanted you to know you're no longer alone.”

“Sixty thousand light years seems a little closer today,” the Captain smiled.

Sora watched, unsure how he felt about it. Did he have family back there who thought he was dead? Maybe someone knew how he had ended up in the Delta quadrant? But there was no way to know, the Doctor had not been able to take anything with him outside of his own program so he had not been able to take the genetic data he had recorded from Sora to pass on to Starfleet. Just because he was not in the ship’s database meant he was not in some Federation database.

But…Riku had said they did not come from there, where else could they be from if they were human? When the others left he remained.

“Sora, did you need something?” the Doctor asked.

“I saw him again, Riku. I am nineteen years old based of the amount of time that has passed since I vanished. However, I should be a year older than that. He said that time must be passing differently between there and here. It seemed a very normal idea to him. He also did not what I meant by the Delta or Alpha Quadrants.”

“Hm, very interesting. If you allow, I would like to run deeper genetic scans. The Borg modifications can make determining original species difficult as they do manipulate the genetics of those assimilated in order to ensure optimum efficiency and lifespan. It is possible that we were wrong and that your species is not human but one that is near-human, such as the Betazoid, and thus physically indistinguishable from Humans in nearly every aspect.”

“Very well Doctor, I need…want to know who I am, where I come from,” Sora agreed.

“Of course, and you have every right to those answers.”

Sora got up on the biobed and lay down for the scans.

,,,,,,,,,,,

Seven studied the image of the alien who had interrupted their transmission as Sora joined her.

“Species 6932,” Sora stated, and she looked at him.

“I was not aware of that Species designation.”

“It was given after your liberation,” Sora informed her, studying the image. “The ship of Species 5174 that was found eviscerated, they are the species responsible. Only ten have been captured and assimilated as of my last contact with the Collective.”

“Do you have much information on them?”

“No…but I believe Tom would say they are bad news.” He looked up at her and then frowned. “When did you last Regenerate?” he demanded.

“I am fine.”

“That is not what I asked,” he stared back at her, and it was good to see him asserting himself, she just did not appreciate being the target. “How long?”

“Fifty eight hours,” she admitted.

“Go now or I will call the Doctor. I can work on clearing up the message from Starfleet. You need to Regenerate before we arrive at the relay station, especially if Species 6932 has laid claim to them.”

She wanted to argue, she had gone far longer, but he reached for his combadge so she surrendered. “Very well, call me if something happens.”

“Of course.”

_TBC…_


	7. ch7

_Disclaimer: not mine_

_Last of the quick updates since I’m out of pre-written._

**Chapter 7**

Kairi hung up, closing her eyes in relief, sinking down on the steps. Hearing that Sora was completely amnesiac had been a horrific shock. But to know that things could feel familiar gave her hope.

“Kairi? Is Riku alright?” Ventus asked as he ran over

She smiled shakily at him. “He reached Sora again.”

“That’s great!”

“He…he doesn’t remember us Ven, nothing. Even his speech is different, he’s younger because time is moving differently there. He…he doesn’t know us,” she tried to smother a sob, and then Ventus was there, holding her close.

“Shh, it’s okay Kairi, we’re here for you,” he promised.

“He let Riku hug him Ven, he wants to remember. What have they done to him?”

“It’ll be alright. You know Riku will rip the Darkness itself apart to protect both of you. He will find Sora and if anyone hurt him, he will do whatever it takes to keep him safe and bring him home.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Are you alright Lieutenant?” Sora asked as he saw her standing at a different console to the one she usually worked from, her back stiff.

“I’m fine Sora, I thought you were working with Seven?”

“She does not currently require my assistance. It is a simple matter of downloading the data and sorting it, the computer can do most of it.”

“Very well, continue your normal duties.”

“Yes ma’am,” he began to move away.

“Sora?” she called, and he turned back.

“Yes Lieutenant?”

“What do you think of all of this?” she asked.

“It lacks any emotional resonance for me. I have no knowledge of Earth, I have only one memory of anything that could be considered home, and that is an island that is definitely not on Earth.”

“You realise you could still have family there even if you personally have never been?”

“That had occurred to me,” he admitted, despite that he was beginning to believe it very unlikely.

“There might be more emotional resonance than you think,” she warned.

He studied her and thought he had worked out the problem. “You received bad news?”

“The Maquis…are all but gone. My friends…”

“I am sorry,” he told her and he meant it. If he found the crew of Voyager were killed, he did not know how he would deal with it, then again his implants would keep the stronger emotions at bay.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora slumped against the console, he needed to spend at least several hours Regenerating. That had been difficult, even with Harry and B’Elanna helping. They had almost ended up pulled into the singularity along with the Hirogen but in the end they had successfully transported Seven and Tuvok back to Voyager and destroyed all of the Hirogen ships.

From what the Collective knew of the species though, he did not believe that was the end of things. The Hirogen were hunters and Voyager would make good prey with species they had never seen before aboard. And because of them, the Hirogen had lost access to the relays as well since all of them had been disabled because of their actions. Which meant no more communication with Starfleet.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Doctor looked up as Sora entered Sickbay. “Right on time,” he nodded, indicating the biobed.

Sora got on and lay down for the examination.

“How have you been feeling? Any problems?”

“None.”

“And your memories?”

“A few flashes, I think of other children on the Island. Is it strange that I have not seen any adults?”

“Well, the adults could be working elsewhere while you play. The Island is rather small correct?” he asked and Sora nodded. “Perhaps it is used as something like a day-care to ensure the children are safe in one place while the adults work. You were still young when assimilated, maybe time with other children is the way your mind is dealing with your assimilation and now integration into the crew where you are the youngest by several years. Naomi does not count as she is most definitely still a child.”

“I see…thank you Doctor.”

“No trouble. Everything looks good medically. Your immune system is working again and so far is not trying to reject the remaining implants. We will need to keep a close watch on that, especially if you haven’t finished growing yet.”

“I could grow more?”

“It is possible, even if the young man you have seen is correct about your age. Theoretically, you could be anywhere between sixteen and twenty one. The younger you are the more chance of further growth. Human males can continue to grow until age twenty one, sometimes in extreme cases even twenty five. Although, it is also possible the Borg alterations will have stopped that. Don’t worry, you are within the acceptable height range for an adult human male.”

“Even if I am shorter than most of the male human crew?”

“That may simply be genetics,” he pointed out.

“Understood,” he sighed.

“All of the genetic tests have come back,” the Doctor informed him as he sat up. “As far as my equipment can determine, you are as human as any third generation colony child. So you were unlikely to have been born on Earth or in the Solar System. I am sure you are aware that ecological and biological exposure on other worlds can alter colonists over time at a genetic level.”

Sora nodded. It was good to have an idea that he was human, or close enough as to not matter.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Seven nearly bumped into Sora as she entered the cargo bay.

“Is everything alright?” he asked in concern. “Did you not have a meeting with the Doctor?”

“I terminated the lesson,” she said, walking further in, but then she turned to face him. “How is it that you can put the crew at ease when interacting with them?” she asked.

He stared at her. “I…do not understand.”

“Your interactions with the crew are far different to my own,” she told him and he nodded.

“True,” he agreed. “I am often unsure how to interact, but I find that doing so in a way very different to a drone is a start. Watching the crew and learning from them has helped.”

“I see…thank you,” she told him, and he nodded before heading for his shift in engineering.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora sat on the floor before the window in his quarters, just staring out at the passing stars. He didn’t feel able to Regenerate. Tonight, he could not push the memories aside and so he avoided everyone. Every species on board had had members assimilated at some point and he kept seeing them overlayed with Borg implants. He pressed his hands to his eyes, trying to get rid of the images. He didn’t want to see!

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Seven checked the display and frowned. “Seven to Lieutenant Paris.”

It was probably nothing, but it was very unlike Sora to be late for Regeneration. She had attempted to call Sora directly but had received no answer.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tom sighed at Seven calling him and B’Elanna smirked. They didn’t get a lot of time together off duty but it seemed duty, or at least one very bossy ex-Borg was calling. “Paris here,” he answered.

“Is Sora still with you? He isn’t answering his combadge and is late which is unlike him.”

Okay, that got his attention, B’Elanna’s too as she straightened up. “He never showed up for his lesson, I thought his shift ran late,” he looked at her, but she shook her head. He’d been putting Sora through the Academy lessons on Advanced Subspace Geometry and was even looking at seeing how he was at piloting the shuttles at least.

“He left engineering on time,” she told them, knowing Seven would hear her.

“Computer, locate Mr Sora,” Tom ordered, getting up.

_“Mr Sora is in his quarters.”_

“Paris to Sora. Sora please respond.” He waited but there was no reply. “I’m going to go check on him.” He had the medical overrides if needed to gain access to crew quarters. He’d only call the Doctor if necessary. “Sorry,” he told B’Elanna.

“Go, make sure he’s alright.”

Tom nodded and left, heading to the deck where Sora’s quarters were located. He pressed the panel to announce his presence but there was no response. “Sora, it’s Tom, I just need to see that you’re okay,” he said. He waited but still nothing. “Computer, medical override Alpha 5-6-3-8,” he commanded, and the doors slid open obediently.

He stepped inside to find the lights were off but he saw a shadow outlined in the dim light from the window. “Computer, lights low,” he ordered and they came up to a low level. The shadow was revealed to be Sora, curled up in front of a chair. He moved towards him slowly. “Sora?” he called but he didn’t respond.

Tom approached cautiously, Sora had been doing very well but Seven had had occasions where she’d reacted more like the drone she’d been than the individual she now was when startled. “Hey there kid,” he murmured, kneeling down. He grimaced as he saw Sora had his hands pressed far too firmly to his eyes. “Come on Sora, look at me.” That finally got a reaction.

“Can...n…t” the closest to a contraction he’d heard from Sora, and it was hardly how he would have wished to do so.

“It’s alright Sora, you’re safe in your quarters. Just breath with me and loosen your hands a bit, you’re going to hurt yourself.” He needed to get Sora calmed down enough to talk about what was wrong. He didn’t want to take him to Sickbay or have to sedate him unless there was no other choice. “You’re safe Sora, no one is going to hurt you. I’m just going to touch your hands,” he warned him, touching the back of the human looking hand, assuming he would handle that better.

He felt Sora flinch but he left his hand there, letting him get used to a painless touch, assuming he was overwhelmed by memories of his assimilation or one of the many surgeries, another reason he didn’t want to have to take him to sickbay.

“I won’t hurt you Sora, it’s Tom, Tom Paris. You’re on board Voyager.”

Sora actually whimpered and Tom felt his heart crack at the sound. He’d been so strong…

He carefully began working his hand under Sora’s since it was pressed to his organic eye far too hard. The last thing he needed was to damage it and need another implant. It was easy to forget that even ex-drones were stronger. “Please Sora, you’re going to hurt yourself.”

To his relief, the pressure eased some, and he managed to slowly draw Sora’s hands away if only by a little. Times like this, he really missed Kes’ presence, she had been very good at calming people and putting them at ease.

“There you go, it’s okay,” he whispered.

Sora shook his head, trembling slightly. Tom was getting worried about his implants and how strong his emotional reaction was currently. Tom carefully shifted so he was sitting and then drew Sora back into him. He wasn’t good at comfort, there’d been little enough of it in the Admiral’s home. But Sora had no memory of such comfort and he obviously needed it.

Sora tensed and Tom readied to let go if he fought, but then he went limp. “So many…so many….”

“So many what, Sora?” he asked carefully.

“Faces…so many….”

“Sora, I need you to breath with me, you need to calm down,” he urged, rocking the teen gently. If he didn’t start to calm in a minute he’d have to call for a transport to sickbay.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku gripped the sink in the tiny bathroom on the ship, pressing a hand to his chest. Sora… he was in so much pain…but he didn’t think it was physical. It was the time when he could sometimes Dive, but if Sora was awake then it wouldn’t work. He wanted so much to be there for him, to help him with whatever was hurting him. He reached for Sora, trying to offer what he could, but Sora wasn’t allowing it, consciously or not.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It was working, but without knowing the cause he could traumatise the kid even further… “Paris to Tuvok.”

_“Go ahead Lieutenant.”_

“I need you in Sora’s quarters.”

_“Has something occurred?”_

“It’s not a security matter but hurry.”

_“Very well.”_

“Tuvok’s on his way Sora, just keep breathing,” he urged.

Sora was almost gasping for air but even as the door chimed.

“Computer, identify,” he called and as soon it identified Tuvok, Tom called for him to enter.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tuvok had suspected many reasons for his being called, seeing Sora and Tom on the floor with Sora in Tom’s arms. He could hear him struggling to breath and moved swiftly to join them, kneeling down. “What has happened?”

“He missed our lesson today and Seven contacted me when he was late for his Regeneration Cycle. I had to use a medical override to get in, found him here. He’s not coherent enough to say what’s wrong.”

“Sora, can you hear me?” Tuvok asked, but the younger male just whimpered.

“I thought maybe he was flashing back to his assimilation. He said something about so many faces.”

“Get him up on the couch please Mr Paris. I need to prepare.”

“Sure,” he began shifting Sora so he could stand.

Tuvok went to the replicator. If Sora was flashing back then they needed to help break him out of it. He set the candles up and lit them, letting the scent fill the air, Voyager did not smell like a Cube but locked in a strong memory he may need the extra sensory difference.

He walked back to find Sora in the corner of the couch, pressed into the corner, staring at nothing. He sat down and observed for a second. “I shall attempt a mind meld to bring him out of it.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Monitor him, if his vitals begin to change to much, we shall have to risk sickbay,” he told him. Once Paris had nodded, Tuvok reached out to begin the meld. Having performed multiple ones on Sora made it far easier to initiate.

Like the first meld, he found himself elsewhere, but the place was not so pleasant. Borg ships were not one of his preferred locations. “Sora?” he called, walking through the Cube.

He saw people everywhere in various stages of assimilation, not a surprising thing to see on a Cube. Was he going to witness Sora’s assimilation? What he found explained everything. He approached slowly, unsure if it was a memory of Sora or his consciousness.

“Sora?” he called, and the drone before him turned, assimilation tubules buried in the neck of a girl who looked a lot like Naomi. “Sora, this is not real. It is a memory turning into a nightmare. You need to push it aside.”

Sora did not verbally respond, removing the tubules from the girl only to turn and approach him. Tuvok blocked him, restraining him as best he could.

“Sora, you need to focus,” Tuvok told him. Nothing was working, he needed something to get through to him. “Sora, reach for Riku,” he encouraged. He doubted that Sora actually could, but if they truly were linked, perhaps he could use it to breach the gap. Sora it seemed needed more help than he could give.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku froze, but then summoned Braveheart, feeling the power. It was the link with Sora but something was strange, still he could feel himself being called so he opened the portal and Dove, ready to fight if he had to.

What he found was unlike anything he had ever seen before and had him very on edge. It was dark, the lights strange.

“Sora you must focus,” a male voice sounded.

Riku leapt up a wall, Flowmotion coming to him easily in a Dream, except…it wasn’t quite a dream. He perched up high, seeing a man dressed in black with yellow over the shoulders. He was struggling with some kind of mechanical being…calling it Sora? He dropped to the floor, Keyblade in hand and the man looked up, revealing strangely arched eyebrows and…was his ear pointed? That reminded him of Saïx, but he was restraining, not hurting. “Who are you?” he asked.

“You are Riku?” the man asked, and Riku nodded, glancing around, relieved to see no Nightmares around.

“Where’s Sora? How are you here?” he asked. That couldn’t be Sora, could it. But the man glanced down and Riku swallowed. “Sora?” he called, taking a step forward. “Sora, it’s Riku.”

The figure froze in its struggles, confirming the. Identification.

“Sora, it’s a nightmare. Let me fight it, that’s what I’m here for,” he offered a shaky smile when Sora’s head turned towards him, one eye dull and the other…gone? Covered? The stranger let go and Sora moved away from them both, utterly silent. Riku dismissed Braveheart, ignoring the stranger, walking towards Sora, hand outstretched. “It’s alright Sora, I’m here, I won’t let anything hurt you,” he promised. “I’m what Nightmares fear,” he offered a smirk.

“Ri...ku,” Sora said, his voice flat.

“Yeah, I’m here.” He held his hand out, ignoring that Sora only seemed to have one, the other replaced by some kind of machine.

Sora stared blankly at him, not emotion, nothing.

_“We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life as it has been is over. From this time forward, you will service us.”_ the words began to sound on repeat, like thousands of voices speaking together.

“What is that?” he asked warily, hand flexing but withholding from summoning his Keyblade for the moment.

“The Borg Collective,” the stranger answered. “I have never seen this in his mind before during our melds. I believe it has come forward due to his emotional distress. We are currently in his shipboard quarters on Voyager, he is in no physical danger. The ship medic is present and will call for the Doctor should it be needed.”

“He said Voyager found and freed him, what did he mean?” Riku asked even as Sora’s hand lifted jerkily towards him.

“He was the sole survivor of a crash,” the man said.

Sora’s hand touched his and then Sora screamed, falling to his knees. Riku grabbed him, easing him down, the man joining him in supporting Sora.

“Breath Sora, you aren’t with the Collective anymore. You are safe, try and remember our lessons.”

“Tuvok?” Sora asked, sounding more aware if dazed.

“Here,” the man assured him. “As is your friend Riku.”

Sora slowly turned his head and Riku found a smile for him, squeezing his arm gently.

“Hey Sora,” he offered softly. “Let’s get you sitting down properly.”

With Tuvok’s help they got Sora down properly.

Riku reached out to touch the bald, almost white, head, stroking his hand over it gently. “Sora you need to wake up from this. Go back to where you are safe,” he rested his hand on Sora’s cheek, ignoring the metal he could feel. “I’m coming Sora, I promise. One day soon we’ll see each other for real.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tuvok watched the silver-haired young man as he soothed Sora. He had never seen a human with such a hair colour before. And that had been a rather strange item or weapon he had held when he first appeared. But he had gotten through to Sora when they could not. The way he moved spoke of a warrior, but there was also gentleness. Slowly, the Cube around them began to flicker, distorting, another image trying to take its place.

Gradually, the light levels began to increase as Riku spoke softly to Sora, touching him with no fear of the Borg implants. It was a relief to see them begin to fade as well.

“Riku?” Sora asked, sounding more like the young man he had come to know.

“I’m with you Sora, always,” he promised.

“Your hair…” Sora reached out, the vision of the prosthetic fading so that it was a human hand that touched the others hair.

“You remember?” Riku asked, and Sora frowned slightly.

“Longer?” he asked, and Riku nodded.

“That’s what happens when you don’t get it cut, I couldn’t for quite a while.”

It was strange that such an admittance seemed to sadden him, there must have been a story there that Sora had known.

“Sora,” Tuvok called, and he looked up at him. “I need to end the mind meld. Will you be alright with Riku?”

Sora looked between them even as the Cube faded to the beach Tuvok remembered from the first meld.

“I will be waiting with Mr Paris when you’re ready,” Tuvok assured him before carefully extracting himself from the meld.

He found Sora had relaxed on the couch, eyes closed. Mr Paris and procured his medical tricorder at some point and was monitoring him. He glanced over and nodded at Tuvok.

“He’s asleep, I don’t know how, but brain waves are indicating normal REM sleep patterns.”

“I didn’t believe that was possible,” Tuvok admitted as he moved away from Sora.

“Apparently it is. Got him calmed down then at least.”

“It was not me. His bond to his friend came in very useful.”

“What do you mean?” Mr Paris asked.

“He is there, with Sora now. His appearance is quite striking for a human, I have never seen one with such a hair colour before.”

“So he’s really able to reach Sora somehow…” he shook his head. “He needs to Regenerate, after that upset I’m worried about his implants.”

“Indeed. Should we move him in his sleep though?”

“Let’s give him some time to rest, see if he wakes naturally soon. I don’t think he should make the walk to the cargo bay though.”

“We will use the transporters,” Tuvok agreed.

,,,,,,,,,,

“Can I hug you Sora?” Riku asked, desperate to offer comfort after what he’d seen. He didn’t need to understand what had been happening to know that it was something utterly horrific. Sora looked back to himself now which was good but he shook his head, which wasn’t. “Why not?” he asked.

“Irrelevant,” Sora answered almost woodenly, gaze shifting to the sea, ands Riku grimaced. He could recognise that gaze, he’d had it himself after sealing the Door, had seen it on Terra’s face many times in the years since Xehanort’s defeat. It was guilt, all consuming guilt.

“Sora, look at me, please.”

“Don’t come,” Sora said, and Riku swallowed, it was just the guilt talking.

“No Sora, I am coming. You’ve been my best friend, all of our lives, even if you don’t remember it.” he knelt in front of him, reaching out to stroke his face. “You never abandoned me, even when it was my fault our World was ripped apart. I won’t give up on you. No matter what.”

_TBC…_


	8. ch8

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 8**

Tom carefully watched the readings, it had been an hour since Tuvok had ended the mind meld. Was his friend still with him? He hoped so, poor kid needed all of the comfort and support he could get. Gradually, the readings changed, showing he was no longer dreaming. “I think we should move him now.”

“Very well. Tuvok to transporter room, three to beam to cargo bay two,” he called, moving to help support Sora as the transporter took them. They arrived to find Seven already Regenerating. “Do you know which cubicle he uses?”

“One on the end,” Tom answered. Tuvok easily lifted Sora and carried him over to it and Tom activated the cycle once Tuvok had him in place, seeing Sora’ eyelids flutter slightly before the computer reported that he had entered the cycle.

“Return to your evening Mr Paris, I shall remain in case there are any issues.”

“Alright, thanks. Call if you need me.” With that he left, returning to his quarters to find B’Elanna had waited.

“How is he?” she asked in concern.

“Regenerating now,” he sighed and sat down, grimacing as his back ached from being in odd positions after a full day at the helm. “Looks like he got stuck in a memory or something. I had to call Tuvok in for help and…he fell asleep B’Elanna, real sleep. According to Tuvok, his friend Riku is very real and showed up to help bring Sora out of it.”

“I’ll adjust his shift tomorrow, just to give him time to recuperate.” She stood and Tom groaned, going to get up. She laughed. “Go get some sleep before you fly us into a sun.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

She read the report and then put it aside. It was to be expected after everything he had been through, both of them. She was honestly surprised that Seven hadn’t had a similar episode yet. The Doctor had been informed as well and it was just something they would need to be aware of. If they were to encounter the Borg now, how would he react? Seven had dealt well but that had been a destroyed Cube with only Sora there.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku stared at his Gummiphone, debating whether or not to call. That had been his longest interaction with Sora yet but…should he tell Kairi? In the end, he put it aside. What he had seen was not something he could bring himself to share without Sora’s permission.

He closed his eyes, taking deep breaths, forcing himself to not let the rage and helplessness overwhelm him. He wanted to find whoever had hurt him and…well do things a Keyblade Master should not even consider. He ran a hand through his hair and then flopped back on his bunk. The sooner he got there the better, but he had the feeling he was coming to the end of the gummi ships ability to help him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“I've erected a level ten forcefield around Engineering,” Sora reported as he ensured the levels were steady and the field would hold.

“Good,” she nodded, turning to the rest of her people. “Set up secondary forcefields around every hatch, Jefferies tube and conduit leading into this room. I want every one of these consoles secured. Authorised command codes only. I'm going to lock down the warp core. Ensign, realign the dilithium matrix to a frequency of three point six nine,” she stopped as she heard something, looking up.

“Look out!” Sora called, leaping over his console, tackling her out of the way as the intruding member of Species 8472 dropped down from the top of the warp core towards her.

She heard him hiss softly even as they rolled across the floor, Sora coming up in a crouch over her. The sound of phaser fire filled the air before cutting off, the intruder already gone. She spotted the four bodies lying on the ground, thankfully all but one were moving even as the others rushed to help or try and secure things further.

“Sora.”

“I am alright,” he answered, standing up before offering her a hand, quickly moving on to check the wounded, even as the doors opened and the Captain entered.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Report.”

“Four crewmembers are wounded, two seriously,” Sora reported.

“Get them to Sickbay,” she ordered and soon they were transported away. “What happened?”

“Species 8472 accessed engineering through the antimatter injector port. Phaser fire was insufficient. It attacked and then escaped through Jefferies tube seventeen alpha,” he stated calmly and professionally. It seemed that his episode the other day had passed, or he was just very good at acting normal.

“Janeway to Tuvok.”

_“Tuvok here.”_

“The intruder just left Engineering. Seal off the area.”

_“Understood.”_

“Secure the warp core,” Janeway ordered and the crew moved to do more than just the forcefield to ensure its security.

“Sora,” she ordered and he left with her.

“It would seem that the Hirogen underestimated their latest prey.”

“You believe they were hunting the creature?”

“Yes. When the Borg were fighting Species 8472, did they ever engage in physical combat?”

“On many occasions,” he had not been there but he had the information.

“Can you recall anything that might help us here?”

“Each time they boarded a Borg vessel, they went directly to the central power matrix and disabled it. Seven may have more data as I only have what was sent out to those away from the region.”

“The creature was just in Engineering. Didn't touch any of our power systems.” She frowned, and he considered what they’d seen.

“It's obviously adjusted its strategy. Species 8472 is devious and highly intelligent. It will seek the most efficient means of destroying us.”

“Alright, return to duty. Good work Sora.”

“Thank you Captain.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora watched the indicators for the teams searching for the attacker, the Hirogen hunter with them. He did not like it, he knew what those things had done to the Borg and was now thankful they had been well away from where the incursions had occurred. Millions of drones and hundreds of worlds had died at the hands of species 8472. That there could be another invasion…it scared him but even as he felt that fear, he felt a pulse of warmth, in his chest…Riku. Wherever he was, he was trying to help him, and for some reason, that gave him strength, helped the fear fade.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“You wish to see me, Captain?” Seven asked as she entered the Captains ready room.

“I've made a decision about Species 8472. I'm going to return it to fluidic space. In order to do that, I need you to open a quantum singularity.”

“I don't believe that is a prudent course of action.”

“I realise it may be difficult for you to help save this creature's life, but part of becoming human is learning to have compassion for those who are suffering, even when they're your bitter enemies.”

“Why?” that seemed extremely foolish to her.

“I remember when I was a Lieutenant. It was during a Cardassian border conflict. My away team was cut off while we were defending a Federation outpost. We'd been exchanging phaser fire with a group of Cardassians for about three days. A stalemate. One night, during a break in the fighting, we could hear this low moaning sound coming from somewhere in the brush. We knew that none of our people were out there, so it had to be a wounded Cardassian. You have to understand, we'd been killing each other for weeks on this planet. It was brutal. But our commanding officer decided that we couldn't just sit there and listen to that poor man suffer. So he ordered me and an Ensign to crawl out there and bring that Cardassian back to our camp. I thought he was crazy. He was risking our lives for someone who would have shot us without hesitation. But we did it, and the Cardassian lived. Three days later we secured the outpost. It was a major victory. We were all decorated by Starfleet Command. But in retrospect, the thing I'm most proud of was the night we saved that man's life.”

“Explain.”

“A single act of compassion can put you in touch with your own humanity,” the Captain answered.

“You are trying to justify your present decision,” she denied.

“No, I'm trying to help you see this as an opportunity to grow. I know you don't want to do it, Seven, but I'm telling you as your Captain, and as your friend, you won't regret it.”

“No. Your decision is tactically unsound. We will be surrounded by Hirogen ships in approximately two hours. If we do not surrender the creature, they will destroy us. A lesson in compassion will do me little good if I am dead.” She found that she did not wish to die anymore and she felt…responsible for Sora, she did not want him to die either.

“It is wrong to sacrifice another being to save our own lives.”

“I have observed that you have been willing to sacrifice your own life to save the lives of your crew,” she pointed out.

“Yes, but that's different. That was my choice. This creature does not have a choice,” the Captain stared up at her, still seated at her desk.

“It invaded our ship, put our lives at risk to save its own. In my view, it has already forfeited its freedom.”

“I'm giving you an order. Report to Deflector Control and begin working on creating a singularity.”

“I will not comply. I have agreed to remain on Voyager. I have agreed to function as a member of your crew. But I will not be a willing participant in my own destruction or the destruction of this ship,” she would not do something that would lead to them all dying.

“Objection noted. We'll do this without you.”

“You will fail.”

“And you have just crossed the line. End of debate. Report to the Cargo Bay and remain there until this is over. Is that understood?”

Seven stiffened, but then nodded, and left the room, returning to the cargo bay.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Sora,” the Captain called his name and he turned.

“You want me to open a Singularity to return the alien home,” he stated before she could say anything else.

“Did Seven contact you?”

“No Captain, as Commander Tuvok would say, it is the logical conclusion.”

“And will you?” she asked.

Sora considered it. “It is dying, if we send it home, its own kind may be able to heal it, but if we do, the Hirogen will destroy Voyager.” He looked at her for confirmation, and she nodded. “I…do not understand Captain.”

“What don’t you understand.”

“The Vulcans say the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, which would seem to indicate that we should turn it over. Its kind have been your enemy, yet you would risk your crew to help it, when it may not survive.”

“You were our enemy too Sora, we helped you.”

He nodded. “You freed me but you cannot do that for it…but you can send it back to its people…compassion?” he asked.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

She listened to Sora, she could tell his questions were different to Seven’s…he was trying to understand. He was right about the Vulcan viewpoint, and Tuvok had already pointed it out. However, she did not like sacrificing any life to save them, it didn’t feel right. She told him the same story she had told Seven and he seemed to understand far better.

“I can try to do the alterations necessary, but the Borg did not wish anyone ever access fluidic space again, they did not disseminate the information on what Seven did,” he warned. “Would it not be better to have Seven make the alterations to create the Singularity.”

“She refused even a direct order to do so,” she told him, seeing the flicker of surprise.

“I see.” He moved to his console and did something before stepping away. “I will report to Deflector Control immediately.”

“Thank you.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora’s fingers flew over the controls as he worked on the deflector, widening his stance a little to keep his balance as the ship shuddered under the fire of the Hirogen. He was not sure if it was the right thing to do, but it felt right. “Sora to the Captain.”

_“Janeway here.”_

“I believe I am ready to attempt opening a Singularity, if the power can be kept steady.”

_“Very well, we’ll do our best. Begin as soon as you can.”_

Sora took a deep breath and began to initiate the program.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Singularity is forming,” Harry called.

“B'Elanna, get ready with the transporter,” Kathryn warned.

_“I have a lock whenever you’re ready.”_

“Singularity is stabilising. Shields down to sixty eight percent.”

“Get ready B’Elanna,” she warned. “Mr Paris, set a course as far from here as possible at maximum speed.”

“Course set.”

“Now,” she ordered.

_“Transporting.”_

“Get us out of here.”

“Yes ma’am.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora entered the cargo bay to find Seven already Regenerating so he stepped up to his alcove only to turn as the doors open.

“I apologise Sora, but I need to speak with Seven in private.”

“Of course Captain, I shall return to my quarters.”

“Thank you, I will let you know when we’re done.”

He left and curled up on his sofa with a PADD. He felt a slight touch to the growing link and reached back. Was he worried because of his earlier fear? He set the PADD aside and closed his eyes to rest, feeling a strange sensation of falling. When he opened his eyes he was on the beach.

“Are you alright?” Riku asked, and Sora turned to him.

He took a step towards him but then hesitated, unsure. Riku just smiled and held his arms out. Sora walked over and stepped into him, pressing against his body, feeling his arms wrap around him. It was strange, Riku was taller than him, with a larger build and yet being held did not feel restraining but…comforting.

“I’m here,” Riku whispered, a hand running through his hair.

“I apologise,” he used the same volume.

“For what?”

“Fear is irrelevant.”

“No it isn’t, everyone gets scared Sora. The scariest day of my life was watching you just fade away on that beach, like you’d never been there. Even seeing Kairi…I knew she’d be okay. But when the bond vanished…”

“A member of Species 8472 got onboard and was damaging the ship. Its kind killed so many, millions of drones, hundreds of worlds.”

He felt Riku’s grip tighten slightly. “But you’re okay, right? I only felt fear, not pain.”

“I am uninjured. It is gone now, we managed to send it home and escape those hunting it for sport.”

“Good.”

The beach wavered and Sora was vaguely aware of a chiming noise.

“Guess you’re waking up,” Riku sighed, stepping back a little. “I’ll see you again, soon. I think I have to leave the ship behind, I think I’m at the limit of how close it can bring me.”

“With no ship, how will you come? Voyager is always on the move.”

That got a large smile. “It’s a surprise.” He was…teasing? “Stay safe.”

With that the beach faded away.

_“Sora? Please respond.”_

“My apologies Captain,” he answered the call. “I think I…fell asleep?”

_“I see, my apologies for waking you. Our discussion is done if you wish to Regenerate.”_

“Thank you Captain, I do.”

_“Then sleep well.”_

_TBC…_


	9. ch9

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 9**

Roxas straightened up, stretching, wiping the sweat out of his eyes, laughing when Hayner groaned and flopped down in the shade. Being human was different to what he’d expected even after he first entered the Replica but…he wouldn’t want to go back to being a Nobody again. Sure, there were some things he missed, like the not needing to eat and only doing so for the taste, but the Replica body was a bit better than a normal humans which meant it hadn’t been as much of an adjustment.

He’d had a few alterations to the Replica made over the years, the scientists never fully happy with their work. There was still a lot they didn’t know…like how long a Replica body could last. Would they need new ones as the years passed? Was there a limit on how many times they could transfer their hearts to a new one? Could a Replica age properly? He thought he’d aged a bit but only time would tell.

He tried not to worry about it, but he knew Axel did, always looking him and Xion over for any problems. It felt…nice. Even Isa kept an eye on them, though that was mainly for Lea’s sake, though the man had apologised for the way he had treated them when he was a Nobody. They accepted him, Roxas mainly for Lea’s sake. There wasn’t much he wouldn’t do for Lea, Xion, or his Twilight Town friends.

“Any word from Riku?” Olette asked as she and Pence joined them, handing out cold drinks. Uncle Scrooge was a slave driver but the pay was good.

“Not since the last call to Kairi that I know of.”

“Are you worried about Sora not remembering? I mean, in a way you’re closer to him than anyone,” Pence pointed out.

“Once he knew about me he tried reaching me but I wasn’t really awake most of the time. And I may have been his Nobody, but we aren’t really much alike. I reckon he’d remember Ven before me since he was in his heart so long,” he shrugged slightly. He’d spent months locked away in Sora’s heart before Sora had found out about him. Still, Sora not remembering how hard he’d worked to give him his own body hurt. “He has started remembering some things, or at least finding them familiar so he might remember by the time he comes back.”

“But you wish you could teach whoever hurt him a lesson, don’t you?” Olette teased, and Roxas nodded.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora sat still on the biobed for his standard check-up, half listening to the doctors results. “Doctor?”

“Yes Sora?”

“How is it possible for me to dream?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure. By rights, you shouldn’t be able to sleep, just Regenerate since there are so many implants left in your brain. It could be that your link to this Riku person is what gives you the ability, he said he was a Dream Eater, correct?” he asked, and Sora nodded. “So it may be coming from him. I don’t suggest trying to sleep, if it happens then it happens. Mr Paris’ scans showed normal brain waves for dreaming when you slept but we don’t want to push things.”

“Understood.”

“You are attending your sessions with Commander Tuvok?”

“Whenever no one is attempting to blow the ship up, yes.” He was not sure why he phrased it that why but the Doctor paused and then smirked at him.

“Not a bad attempt at humour, congratulations.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku knew the ship could take him no further, but it didn’t matter, he could feel Sora’s heart. That was all the guiding key he needed. He would do whatever it took to help Sora remember but even if he never did, he would stay at his side and he knew Kairi would feel the same.

Part of him was scared to see Sora in the flesh, to see the damage done, did he still look as he had in the nightmare? Like a machine? If he did, he could never go home, it would destroy the World Order. He’d be only able to go to Worlds like Radiant Garden and Mickey’s Castle. He didn’t want Sora to have to be so limited like that. He just wanted him to be happy and with them.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tom and Harry led Sora onto the Holodeck, already dressed for parrises squares, Sora tugging at the padded outfit.

“Guessing you’ve never played.”

“The Borg do not have recreation and therefore information and memories of such activities is not kept by the Collective.” He looked around curiously.

“Well, we have two weeks to teach you before the match so let’s get started,” Harry told him. He thought Sora would be good at it; he had the coordination, strength, and speed to be a very good player.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kairi put her Gummiphone away and lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Riku had finally called again. He was managing semi-regular dream contact with Sora which was wonderful. The fact he was having to ditch the ship wasn’t and…she knew he was keeping things from her. But about what? What had happened to Sora seemed the most likely and that worried her. Would he ever be the Sora they had known again? She just wanted them both back and safe.

The thought of seeing him though, and having him look at her like a stranger…he had to remember them, he just had to. Although Riku had told her that Sora hadn’t asked for her name but for confirmation a child memory of her had the right name. So he’d remembered something about her.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora ducked into a Jeffries tube, and then pulled free a panel, wriggling inside, working his way into parts of the ship not usually accessed except in space dock. The Hirogen had managed to board the ship and were rounding up the crew. The Doctor would be safe enough but they needed people to remain free. With his implants, he should be very hard to pick up on internal sensors so deep into the ship, he had left his combadge behind ages ago to keep from being tracked that way. It was a good thing he was relatively small or he would never fit.

He just had to find a way to retake the ship before he went too long without Regenerating.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

_“She'll survive.”_

_“What about her neural interface?”_

_The medic scanned a Y shaped scar below the Captain’s jawline. “Stable.”_

_“Are you sure? There were times when she seemed aware of who she is.”_

_“Impossible. I was monitoring the crew during the entire simulation. She believes she's whoever we programme her to be. Shall I return her to the Klingon simulation?”_

_“No. Bring her to Holodeck one. I've found another programme I want to try. A conflict that took place on her own planet. It should prove stimulating.”_

Sora turned off the small imaging device he had cobbled together, the footage was not good at all. Such technology…there had to be a way for him to work around it and free the crew, without risking Assimilating them. He could theoretically introduce his nanoprobes into the holodeck systems, override the Hirogen programs, but it would not matter so long as the crew was being influence. He could not attempt to slip in either as somehow the process had worked on Seven. His implants were a generation further advanced but it was too risky.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora’s fingers flew over the controls, working as swiftly as possible.

“Please state the…this is not Sickbay.”

“Doctor,” Sora called, and the EMH turned to him.

“Sora!” he moved to his side. “Where are we?”

“I am not sure how long the emitters here will last,” he warned.

“When did you last Regenerate?” the Doctor asked in alarm.

“I was Regenerating when the Hirogen attacked.”

“That was a week ago,” he hissed in alarm. “If you don’t Regenerate soon…”

“I know, however I can hardly use my alcove under the circumstances. I tapped into a power conduit yesterday but I will soon need more. We must free the crew.”

“A handful are being kept free for repair work, I shall attempt to contact Mr Kim about your situation. How have you remained hidden?”

“In between decks where there is enough interference to hide my life signs. Is the Captain well? I saw footage of her in Sickbay.”

“The crew is all alive, for how much longer I can’t say. We need to move quickly.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Doctor worked with the Hirogen medic on Seven, Neelix laying on the nearby biobed. He wished he had a way to wake her and get her help but there was nothing he could do while being watched.

“This neural interface has been damaged.”

“That's because it took a direct hit when one of your bullets grazed the base of her skull,” he pointed out.

“I'll provide you with another. Install it.”

“Not until I've repaired her injuries,” he answered, stalling.

“How long?”

“She has two fractured vertebrae and a punctured lung. Another hour at least.” Technically forty minutes but that bought him extra time to try and find some way to work around the interface. Sora desperately needed back up because the best plan they had was him using his nanoprobes on the ship! Yes, Voyager had incorporated Borg technology but his idea would be adding even more.

“Him?”

“I've stabilised his vital systems, but he still has bullet fragments lodged in his shoulder.”

“I will treat him.”

“This time you might do a better job repairing the muscle lacerations. The last crewmember you treated was brought back in with internal bleeding.”

“Your crew is fragile. They fall too easily.”

“What do you expect?” he snapped. “They've been stabbed, shot, beaten, phasered and bat'lethed over the past three weeks. Their bodies weren't designed for this kind of punishment.”

They paused as the Hirogen Alpha entered Sickbay. “What happened?” he demanded.

“These prey were hunted by Turanj. Their injuries are severe.”

“You assured me that your people would avoid causing serious head injuries. Another centimetre and the bullet would have penetrated her brain. If you can't keep your people under control, then you should put an end to this blood sport.”

“The simulations will continue.”

“At least activate the holodeck safety protocols,” he argued, he did not wish to have someone else killed in their ‘hunt’. There had only been two deaths since it had started but that was two too many as far as he was concerned.

“No.”

“It'll prevent life-threatening injuries for your people as well,” the Doctor pointed out.

“It will also eliminate the challenge.”

“I have had twenty eight wounded and one fatality in the past twelve hours. Even I can't keep up with that level of triage.”

“You will keep up or they will die. Their lives are in your hands, Doctor. Don't fail them. When that one is ready, place him in holodeck two. Let's see how he fares with the Klingons.”

“What about her?” the medic asked

“Send her back to holodeck one. I like her voice.”

Seven would be with the Captain and most of the command crew, if only they could find a way to use that.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry was working with an engineer, a Hirogen standing guard nearby to ensure they didn’t try anything. “The holo-emitters in this corridor are stable. Let's start working on section nineteen,” he said before dropping his volume. “But first, tell the guard to escort you to Engineering. That we need more equipment. Specifically, a type three isolinear emitter. If he gives you any trouble, say I can't complete the assignment without it.”

Ashmore nodded and went to the guard. “We need an isolinear emitter from Engineering.”

Harry watched them enter the turbolift and then activated the emitters, relieved when the Doctor appeared.

“Ensign, how did I get here?”

“I transferred you here, using the new emitters in this section.”

“I assume you've got a plan? While Sora’s may work it is very risky.”

“Half a plan. Is Sora alright? I didn’t know what happened to him after they boarded.”

“He’s hiding among Voyager’s ‘guts’ in order to mask his life signs. he is in desperate need of Regeneration and more food though. He’s hooked into the ships power a handful of times to compensate. Now, let's hear your plan.”

“Before we can retake the ship, we've got to get the crew back. That means disabling the neural interfaces.”

“Easier said than done. The great Hunters are everywhere you turn. Sora’s plan involves upgrading the transporters and beaming the Hirogen into space.”

“Don't worry, I think I've found a way to tap into the Sickbay diagnostic console. The only catch is,” Harry stopped as the guard and Ashmore returned, the Doctor vanishing. “Standby with the emitter. I'm almost done here,” he told them. He went around the corner and the Doctor reappeared.

“The catch, Ensign?”

“Somebody's got to be inside the holodeck to engage the bridge control relays,” he admitted. Sora would be the best bet for getting in and to the necessary system but if he was seen they would know he was part of the crew and not the program due to his implants.

“We're short-handed.”

“I know,” he couldn’t do it, they hadn’t taken him near the holodecks.

“Well, we've got two Borg on board, don't we? Maybe we can put them both to good use. If you could find a way to leave some food in Jeffries tube 58 I am sure Sora would appreciate it.”

“I’ll do what I can but how will he know?”

“He’s hooked into the ships sensors in a limited capacity. It’s a good thing Sora’s had time to learn Voyager’s systems.”

,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora closed his eyes, he had not attempted anything like it since being disconnected from the Collective. Neither of them had wished to be connected to each other, even when Regenerating. He did wonder how that was being managed in the holodeck. He shook his head and activated his neural transceiver, letting it search for Seven’s. She was still within Sickbay as far as he could tell. Good, the Doctor could fill her in once he managed to override the Hirogen neural interface.

“Seven,” he called out to her and he smiled as he heard her response.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“That old black magic has me in its spell. That old black magic that you weave so well. Those icy fingers up and down my spine. The same old witchcraft when your eyes meet,” she sang but then there was a fizzing sound and she stopped, confused. “I apologise,” she murmured. “I must stop for now.”

She moved away from the stage and to the bar, going behind it to get a drink of water and then she felt her neural transceiver activate, data flowing to her from Sora, filling her in on the program she was within.

“If the entertainment is over, I'll be going.”

“Stay right there, Kommandant. I'm sure she's fine. Let me talk to her,” the Captain told the Hirogen.

“What's wrong?”

“I require a glass of water, I apologise.”

“Make it a quick one. I promised the Kommandant you'd be singing till midnight. I want to get a lot of information out of him tonight.”

“Of course, it was a momentary dizzy spell,” she assured her. She finished the water and returned to the stage, thankful that Sora had included several appropriate songs in the data. Accessing her own internal chronometer had her very concerned for the younger ex-drone. If he was in hiding, how was he Regenerating or procuring sustenance?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It was not their beach but thankfully it wasn’t that creepy mechanical place either. Riku glanced around and found Sora slumped against a wall. He didn’t look good at all. “Sora?” he called, moving to kneel in front of him, a hand going to cup his cheek.

“Have to keep working, systems need.”

“Shh, it’s okay Sora. Come on focus on me,” he urged and Sora blinked slowly.

“Riku?”

“Yeah. You scared me for a second. What’s going on? I haven’t been able to Dive in over a week.”

“The ship has been taken by the Hirogen. I am free but having to remain hidden deep in the ship so that they do not detect me.”

“When was the last time you ate or slept?”

“Three hundred and fifty hours since my last proper Regeneration cycle, I used a power conduit fifty hours ago. Food was twenty hours ago, emergency rations. We have a plan.”

“Good, plans are good,” Riku said, for both of their sake. “Once this is done you eat and rest as much as you need. I hate seeing you like this.”

“Are you?” Sora mumbled, and Riku frowned.

“Sora?”

“Deprivation can cause hallucinations.”

“I’m real Sora, you’re asleep and dreaming, promise. Just rest for a while.” He sat down against the wall and carefully drew Sora into his arms. “I’ve got you,” he whispered, running his hand through Sora’s hair, happy when he felt him relax.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“We've got to stop meeting like this,” the Doctor commented. 

“I managed to grab a quick scan of holodeck one, and it looks like Seven of Nine is on the move, so Sora must have been successful. Are you ready in Sickbay?”

“My Hirogen taskmaster is working in the bio-lab. I'll have access to the medical console for another twenty minutes at least. I’m not sure how much longer Sora can last,” he warned and Harry nodded.

The kid was hooked into the main computer but only the part that stored the data on Holoprograms. He was feeding Seven everything she needed to know to remain in character.

“That'll give me enough time to get to the bridge,” Harry told him and then the Doctor vanished as two Hirogen entered the room. “Good afternoon.”

“What are you doing in here?” one demanded, he looked young, good.

“Trying to get the replicator system back online. Unless you prefer the emergency rations? Personally, I'm getting tired of synthetic protein. You're supposed to be the finest hunters in the quadrant, why don't you find us something a little more tasty? Is something wrong?”

“An unauthorised transmission was sent from this room.”

“What kind of transmission?” Harry feigned ignorance.

“I don't know. Maybe you can tell me.”

“Well, I was trying to re-route power from the main computer to the replicators. Of course. I must have tripped a communications subroutine. Sorry about that. Didn't mean to worry you. Your people have damaged just about every system on this vessel. Accidents are bound to happen. Now, if you don't mind, I'm due on the bridge.” He went to walk by but was stopped.

“Show it to me.”

“What?”

“I want to see this subroutine. Show me what you were doing when the accident occurred.”

“Forget it. I don't have time.” He grunted as he hit the deck, refusing to show any more pain though.

“Do as I say.”

“All right! But you'd better call the bridge. Tell your superior I'm going to be late, that I'm working under your orders now, not his. Go ahead, make the call. I don't want to take the blame for this.”

His attacker paused to think about it for a minute before moving away. “Report to the bridge.”

“Thanks.” He got up and left the mess hall to head for the bridge.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The radio operator was writing down a Morse code transmission as they entered, the Captain knocking him out. “Set the charges here, here and there. This looks like a message from one of their reconnaissance teams,” she commented as she looked at what he’d been recording. She took the headphones and listened.

Seven went to the shelves and removed several books to reveal the holodeck controls, immediately beginning to work.

“These must be instructions for troop deployments. The Germans must be taking up new positions outside the city. It looks like they're mobilising more troops than our sources originally expected.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The computer beeped, a monitor at the back of Ops suddenly reading; Holodeck One Access Enabled. Harry worked the consoles, and one in Sickbay proclaimed Neural Interface Access Enabled. The Doctor quickly brought up Janeway's personnel file.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“They're moving armoured units into the valley. They must know the Americans are coming. We've got to warn them somehow. What are you doing? You haven't set the charges. What is that?”

“I believe it is a transmitter. I'm attempting to disable it,” Seven explained in a way that should fit the scenario.

“You're sending a message to the Nazis.”

“No,” she denied.

“Step away, or I'll kill you.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“What are you doing?” the medic demanded.

“Er, nothing. Just running a diagnostic,” the Doctor lied, so much for privacy.

“You've accessed the neural interface controls. Stop it immediately.”

A clanging noise had the medic turning and then he hit the deck, Sora standing over him, breathing heavily.

“Perfect timing,” the Doctor told him, quickly disabling the Captain’s interface.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“I told you no more mistakes. You've just made your last one.” She began to squeeze the trigger only to grimace at a stab of pain below her ear. “Ow!” she shook her head and frowned in confusion. “Seven?”

“Captain.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Voyager rocked with an internal explosion.

“What happened?” the Hirogen Alpha demanded.

“There was a simulated explosion on holodeck one. Somehow it blew out the hologrid across three decks,” Harry explained, that was not part of the plan.

“Is the programme still running?”

“Yes. The breach opened the simulation into the surrounding sections. I'm picking up holographic soldiers moving into deck five.”

“Shut down the holo-emitters until we can regain control.”

“I can't. The programme controls are offline. You wanted a war? Looks like you've got one,” Harry shrugged.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“There are eighty five Hirogen on board, concentrated on decks two through nine,” Seven read off the computer display in astrometrics.

“What about the bridge?”

  
“Four Hirogen and Ensign Kim.”

“At least he's alive. The neural interfaces, you said they're controlled through Sickbay.”

“Yes. There's only one Hirogen in Sickbay with the Doctor, but the corridors outside are heavily guarded.” She blinked. “Correction, there was one Hirogen, Sora has successfully neutralised him and they are working to disable the rest of the interfaces but it will take time as they have to be done one at a time.”

“Then we need to buy them that time, but we'll need help.”

“We did have allies in the World War Two simulation. The French Resistance,” Seven pointed out.

“It's time we mount a resistance of our own,” she smirked and readied her gun, wishing for the familiarity of a phaser. Good thing the holodeck safeties had been turned off or it’d be useless in a real fight. But without them even holographic bullets could kill.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora stepped back from the doors. “That will keep them occupied for some time,” he told the Doctor.  
  


“Good, help me get these things disabled. Doing it one at a time is taking far too long.”

Sora nodded and moved to help him, ignoring the pounding in his head.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry winced at the sound of machinegun fire nearby, bolting around a corner, not noticing the holographic Nazi aiming his weapon at him, only to get shot by… “Tom!” he yelled in relief at the save and at seeing his best friend.

“Wrong guy. You speak English?”

  
“Yeah. I speak English,” he answered, obviously Tom’s interface hadn’t been deactivated yet, great.

“American?”

“I didn't see him coming. You saved my life.” He really needed a phaser.

“Why are you out of uniform? What Company are you with?”

“Well, er, I'm a civilian,” he fumbled, not like his Starfleet uniform looked like WWII era civilian clothing either.

“In the middle of a battle zone in France? The hell you are,” Tom snapped as more gunfire ran out, the soldier with Tom moving forward. “Go on, I'm right behind you. Look, I don't have time for twenty questions. You say you're an American? All right then. If Betty Grable came around that corner, what part of her would you be staring at? Sorry. Time's up.” He aimed and Harry stared with wide eyes.

“Her legs! I'd be staring at her legs,” he blurted and Tom lowered his gun.

“Bull's-eye. Lucky for you,” Tom moved on and Harry slumped against the wall for a second before moving, he needed to get to Sickbay.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“As you wish. You, help me seal this hatch.”

They watched the Hirogen move away to seal the Jeffries tube access, cutting off their access to the rest of the ship.

“What do you think? A boy or a girl?” Tom asked as he took in B’Elanna’s condition.

“It's a holographic projection,” Seven pointed out, relieved that their interfaces had been disabled.

“Unfortunately, it's a very good projection. I feel twenty kilos heavier. It even kicks,” B’Elanna grumbled, rubbing her lower back.

“I don't recognise this program,” Tuvok commented.

“I do. He's wearing a Nazi uniform. We're on Earth during the Second World War,” Tom grimaced which meant it likely wasn’t good.

“Nazi?” B’Elanna asked.

“Totalitarian fanatics bent on world conquest. The Borg of their day. No offence,” Tom explained.

“None taken,” she told him, not liking what data she had from Sora on the topic. The connection had been severed, Sora’s help needed elsewhere.

“What are you staring at?” B’Elanna asked one of the holographic soldiers, perhaps not a wise move given the circumstances.

“Get up. You deceived me,” the man snarled, pulling her up by the arm.

“Really?”

“I should've seen through your flirtations.”

“If you say so,” she shrugged slightly. 

“The thought of you carrying my child disgusts me.”

“You're not the only one,” B’Elanna snarled at him and he slapped her.

Tom was immediately on his feet. “Look, I don't know what went on between the two of you, but it's obviously over now.”

“I see you're acquainted. Do you find her as attractive as I once did? I'll miss our nights together.”

“Pig!” Tom spat and the man aimed his gun at him.

“Put the weapon away. Now,” the lead Hirogen ordered.

The soldier obeyed and walked away.

“Funny, he doesn't seem like your type,” Tom murmured as they sat.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora crawled through the Jeffries tube and into the transporter room, getting to work, not taking the care he would normally when removing access panels. It was strange but…it almost felt like he had done it before as he worked to enhance the transporters to match the Borg equivalent. He then activated a ship wide comm. “Attention Hirogen hunters. Stand down or be transported into space.” He knew the Captain would warn them and so he did, watching the internal sensors, locking on to all Hirogen life signs. “This is your last warning, stand down hostilities or die.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“He’s bluffing.”

“I think you’ll find the Borg do not bluff and he is newly enough freed from the Collective to still be very direct. Call off the hunt or he will do it.” It was a relief to hear Sora but she could hear the strain in his voice. The last thing she wanted was for him to have to carry out his threat, to have more guilt added to what he already carried from his time as a drone.

“Turanj, order our hunters to end the fighting.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora frowned as the fighting intensified, hand hovering over the control. He saw three life signs fade and ran his hand up the panel, unwilling to watch more of the crew die.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kathryn watched the Hirogen Alpha vanish and left the ready room to find Harry alone on the bridge.

“He did it,” Harry whispered, and she nodded.

“This is the Captain speaking, secure all decks. All wounded report to sickbay. Get those holodecks shut down.” She moved to the conn and brought the engines online, changing course suddenly and going to maximum warp. “Any signs of pursuit?”

“Negative,” Harry answered in relief. “They can’t match our top speed and the course change was sudden enough it looks like we’ve lost them.”

  
“For now,” she sighed. “Get to the transporter room and get Sora to his alcove as fast as you can.”

  
“Yes ma’am.”

Well, she supposed it was crunch time so she’d let the ma’am slide. They had a lot of work to do but first they had wounded to see to.

Of course that was when the ship immediately went to Yellow Alert, that only happened automatically upon the detection of unknown or hostile spacecraft, strange energy sources, or upon the detection of certain system malfunctions. She supposed the mess with the holodecks counted…until she saw something fluctuate onscreen. She moved to ops and brought up the sensors. An unknown energy source at heading three seven mark five two nine, not moving but expanding, distance only two hundred kilometres. She activated the shields, glad the Hirogen had seen them as a necessary repair after boarding.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry didn’t waste time walking, beaming them both to the cargo bay and then pushing Sora into his alcove. “You’ve more than earned the rest Sora. We can handle the rest.”

Sora nodded tiredly and then off course Yellow Alert began flashing.

“Stay here, it’s not a Red Alert. You’re no good to anyone if you end up in Sickbay.”

“Affirmative,” Sora mumbled and Harry activated his alcove, Sora immediately entering Regeneration while Harry left to get back to the bridge, hoping it was not any alien ships.

_TBC…_


	10. ch10

_Disclaimer: not mine_

**Chapter 10**

She moved away from Ops as Harry arrived, moving to her own seat as the bridge crew began returning to their posts. Thankfully, with the holodecks forcefully shut down they were back in their uniforms.

“Sensors are detecting a surge of unknown energy, heading three seven mark five two nine. It’s not moving in any direction but is expanding slightly. Distance….two hundred kilometres,” Harry read off his display.

“We have phasers but photon torpedoes are offline,” Tuvok reported. “Shields are at seventy percent.”

“Seven to the bridge,” She ordered. She would only call on Sora in an utter emergency, he desperately needed rest after having to spend so long in hiding. Seven at least had been able to eat better and rest while in the Holoprograms.

It didn’t take very long for her to join them, though not quite looking her normal perfect self. She saw the image and went to work at her usual console when on the bridge. “The energy is unlike anything I have encountered,” she admitted after a few minutes. “The sensors keep losing it.”

There was a flash of light from the location and then… “Increase magnification,” Kathryn ordered.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora stumbled from his Regeneration alcove, a hand pressed to his chest. Riku? The alarm was beeping and he turned it off, he knew he hadn’t completed the cycle. The lights were still flashing, still at Yellow Alert. He left the Cargo Bay, heading for the bridge, one hand on the wall.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Sensors?”

“One life form,” Tuvok answered. “Readings are not clear enough to determine species, or even the type of craft.”

It looked like a metal humanoid standing on some sort of glider, also metallic.

“Mr Paris, cut engines, bring us about. Can you hail them?” She asked.

“No ma’am, I’m not picking up anything like comm signals,” Harry answered.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Black lines spread further over the glass, filling in one section which soon filled with colour, forming the image of a young man with shaggy longish hair inside a circle, the rest still all broken up.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Harry looked up as the doors opened, Sora staggering out and onto the bridge. Wasn’t he meant to be Regenerating? “Sora?” he asked as the younger man moved passed his station.

Sora didn’t answer, attention locked on the image. He walked down the slight slop and stopped next to the conn, Tom looking up at him in concern.

“Sora?” he friend asked the teen.

“Riku?” Sora finally spoke, wavering on his feet, and Tom got to his feet, wrapping an arm around his waist. He guided Sora down into his own chair before grabbing the medical tricorder he’d stashed at his station for emergencies.

Harry had to look down at his own station then. “Whoever it is, they aren’t moving, just watching us.”

“Mr Paris, get Sora back to his alcove or Sickbay, whichever’s best,” the Captain ordered.

“Yes Captain,” Tom answered, slinging Sora’s arm over his shoulders. “Come on kid.”

“Riku,” he mumbled, slumping against Tom, which had them all looking in concern. The whole crew knew what Sora had done for them while the Hirogen had been aboard not to mention everything he did every day to try and help, no one wanted to see him hurt or sick. Tom got him to the turbolift, nodding at Harry on the way past.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kathryn stared at the image on the screen. “Mr Tuvok, can you get measurements or anything from that figure? Could it be Riku?” she asked.

“It is possible,” he answered after a moment.

She had to consider the good of her ship, Tuvok did not seem to think this Riku was a threat and for everything Sora had done to save them…They were in no condition for a battle. The figure had made no threatening moves, was simply watching. “Open shuttlebay 2 and turn on the running lights, guide him in.”

“Yes Captain.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku burst back into the World, riding the glider his Keyblade had become and wearing the armour Aqua, Terra, and Ventus had crafted for him. It was mostly silver but with dark blue highlights, a crown etched over his heart, the same shape as the necklace he had given Sora so long ago. He looked around and then followed the pull of his heart, seeing a ship unlike anything he had ever seen before but he didn’t care, that was where Sora was.

He approached slowly but the ship came to a stop, it felt rather like a staring competition for several minutes, and then he saw lights begin to flash over the hull…all heading in one direction. He glided closer, looking the ship over, but then followed the lights to an opening with an energy field over it, able to see people within. He moved toward the field and lifted a hand, finding it passed through easily so he slipped through, landing on a clear space, stepping off his glider which reverted to Braveheart and then vanished.

He studied the people in front of him, dressed in some kind of uniform although with sections of different colour, rank or something else? He kept his armour on though, seeing some were armed.

“I am Kathryn Janeway, Captain of the Federation Starship Voyager. Are you Riku?” She asked, face stern, but he felt no hostility.

He hesitated but then dismissed the armour in a flash of light, leaving him in his normal magical clothing. “I’m Riku,” he told her. “Where’s Sora?”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora sat in the pitch black, knees curled to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs, staring out at the distant stars. He remembered, he remembered Riku, maybe not everything but enough. How could he face him?

He could never go home again, he wouldn’t survive, his body was too dependent on the Borg technology that remained within. He could remember sitting in a house with Riku…the technology was nowhere near what he needed. What would Riku think of him now? He’d done such horrible things…he’d help assimilate so many people, he’d help steal everything from them. How was he any better than the one that had possessed Riku? He knew he should know the name but he couldn’t remember it. 

He knew Tom was outside, for now respecting his need to be alone, but how long would that last? He could simply override the door controls, Sora knew Tom could use the medical override since he was also a field medic. His own security codes had the lowest rating onboard and he’d been working hard to show that he was one of them, that he could be trusted.

He liked his life on Voyager but he missed Riku too. Could Riku stay?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Kathryn stared at the metallic figure who stepped of some kind of…glider? Then to her shock the glider changed into some kind of strange…large key? A blade? Before vanishing. The figure was obviously looking them over and she stepped forward, gaining his attention.

“I am Kathryn Janeway, Captain of the Federation Starship Voyager. Are you Riku?” She asked, firmly.

His head tilted slightly but then there was another flash of light and the armour was gone, revealing a humanoid male, around the same physical age as Sora. “I’m Riku,” he told her. “Where’s Sora?”

It wasn’t a demand but he struck her as someone used to command, which was odd considering his apparent age. He stood tall and straight, eyes calm yet serious, definite officer material. His hair colour was nothing like she’d seen naturally on a human, even his eye colour was slightly different, brighter perhaps.

“Is he alright? The last contact I had with him, he was a mess. He said he hadn’t slept or eaten in days,” Riku asked, looking extremely concerned

“He has been taken to rest,” Tuvok answered, moving into view, and she saw the recognition in the silver haired youths expression. 

“Good. He…he really doesn’t remember?” the young man glanced between them.

“I’m afraid not, although he does remember more than he did when we first found him. If you will come with me to Sickbay, it is standard protocol to ensure there is no risk of spread of disease and we can speak more there.”

Riku nodded and followed her out of the shuttlebay. She caught him glancing around curiously as they made their way through the corridors until they reached Sickbay.

“Captain,” the Doctor greeted. “Ah, a guest?”

“Doctor this is Riku,” she introduced.

“I see, well then, if you’ll just sit on the edge of the bed I can run a quick scan to ensure you aren’t carrying anything that may be infectious the crew and vice versa.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku stared at the bed, glancing around to see a handful of others, technology unlike any he’d ever seen. He sat on the edge and watched as some kind of device was waved around his body. The technology was so foreign to anything in other Worlds….and he had to wonder just how far from home he’d come to find Sora. The Grid in the Sleeping Worlds had been all technology, but it had been different to how this felt.

The Doctor put the machine down, looking at something, before looking up at him. “Good news, you are in excellent health for a human male. However, there is the matter of what appears to be an old injury to your wrist. If you wish, I can fix that for you.”

Riku stared in shock. “You can? I was told nothing could be done, too much time had passed since it was injured.”

“Perhaps for the methods where you are from. It would be a simple surgical procedure, no more than an hour. It will require an artificial replacement but the bone will be far stronger and you would have immediate use of the arm.”

Riku just stared in shock. “Artificial?”

“Perhaps Doctor, now would be a good time to explain what has happened to Sora,” the Captain spoke up.

“So this is that Riku then, of course,” the Doctor agreed. “You have heard of the Borg?”

“The what?” Riku had never heard that word before.

“If I may ask, what is your home world? Not Earth if you haven’t heard of the Borg. Then again, I doubt any human colony world hasn’t,” the Captain pointed out.

“We’re from the Destiny Islands,” Riku said, that was safe enough, good luck finding their home from that. “So what is this…Borg?”

“The Borg are a pseudo-species of cybernetic humanoids. They form a hive mind, the Borg Collective. Each drone is linked into the Collective, all individuality and identity erased. The Hive connects all of them and allows information from every drone who has been brought into the collective to be shared. Their ultimate goal is the attainment of 'perfection' through the forcible assimilation of diverse sentient species, technologies, and knowledge which is then added and absorbed into the hive mind. As a result, the Borg are among the most powerful and feared entities in the galaxy, without really being a true species at all,” the Doctor explained even as he brought up images on a screen.

Riku felt utterly sick. It was a person but not… “How…” It looked so much like Sora in the Nightmare.

“Cybernetic implants are either surgically attached to the body or grown internally by the nanoprobes injected into the bloodstream in the first stage of assimilation. The nature of these implants vary from drone to drone depending on the drone's intended function, but basic nodes of interlink for communications with the Collective and a myo-neural cortical array to control movements are implemented in every drone. In most cases, an eye is replaced with an eyepiece that improves vision and an arm is also amputated altogether to make room for a functional prosthetic,” the Doctor paused to make sure he was still listening, and Riku was, even as the dread was building.

“The implants of a fully assimilated drone can allow it to function for extended periods without shelter, food, water, or air, the can even survive in the vacuum of space. A drone's only requirement for survival is a supply of energy to maintain the implants that in turn maintained its biological functions. This energy is supplied during regeneration cycles within a Borg alcove. Upon receiving damage, a drone simply returns to the alcove for assessment of the damage. Severely damaged drones are generally disassembled and scavenged for reusable parts.”

He felt….faint. Regeneration…that was what Sora had said... the images…“Sora….are you saying that he..”

“Breath,” the Doctor commanded.

“When we found Sora, he was a fully functioning Borg drone,” the Captain informed him, tone gentle but firm, as Riku forced himself to breath. “He was the sole survivor onboard his ship after it was heavily damaged and crashed into an inhospitable planet. He was attempting to repair the ship, alone, when our away team approached him. He did something we have not recorded happening before…he asked for help. Not for the Collective, and he did not order them to help, which would have been normal behaviour. No…he asked for the team to help using the word ‘me’ despite the fact that he should have had no concept of the word.”

Riku closed his eyes, almost managing a smile. “That’s Sora, always doing the impossible.” He ran a hand through his hair. “That’s why he didn’t recognise me in the Dream world, isn’t it?”

“Actually, his condition is rather fascinating. Borg Drones have been freed in the past, in fact there was one with the away team who found him. None of them have lost their memory. Apparently Sora was found near death on a planet with no human population and so they assimilated him only to find he had no memory at all,” the Doctor explained. “We have been giving what help we can to Sora to help, Commander Tuvok has performed several mind melds which have given the most progress. In fact, I believe you met during one of them. In time, he may regain all or at least most of his old memories.”

“Please, I need to see him.”

“Mr Riku, do you understand that he is not the person you once knew, he may never be again. His physical appearance has been altered too, there are remaining pieces of Borg technology that are visible.”

“He may be different physically, but his heart is the same otherwise the link never would have reformed.”

“You are telepathic?” The Captain asked, and Riku frowned.

“What?”

“You can read minds?”

“People can do that?” Would the universe never stop coming up with new things to shock him? Right, he was a Keyblade Master, he could remain calm and collected. “No, I can’t,” he shook his head. “I can feel Sora’s emotions because we share a link. Sora was…attacked when we were younger. I knew something was wrong but not what and instinctively tried to protect him. I ended up in his dreams and became his Dream Eater, the only human one ever known of. Right now he’s scared, please.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“Janeway to Paris,” she called over the comm. If Sora was truly scared and Riku could sense it, then perhaps seeing Riku in the flesh was what was needed. When she hadn’t seen him in Sickbay she had assumed he was Regenerating but perhaps that wasn’t the case?

_“Paris here Captain.”_

“Are you with Sora and what is your location?”

_“He’s locked himself in his quarters Captain. He’s not answering me but the computer reports he isn’t in further distress, so I didn’t feel right overriding the controls.”_

“Understood. I’m on my way with a visitor for him. Janeway out,” she ended the communication. “Shall we?”

“I shall make the preparations for the procedure, just return or have Sora inform me of when you wish to have it done,” the Doctor didn’t even ask for permission to treat a non-crewmember but under the circumstances she agreed.

She’d seen the young man looking around, seen the curiosity and wonder. If not for the way he arrived she would have assumed he was from a pre-warp society. Perhaps their technology was kept less noticeable? Some advanced societies preferred the illusion of less. It was possible they were advanced but did not have the ability to replace bones. She was curious to learn more about where they came from but would leave it be for now.

At the moment, she had a crewmember in desperate need of help and hopefully Riku could help with that.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku followed the Captain through the halls and into whatever they called the elevators locally. They seemed to move in multiple directions, not just up and down which was interesting, then again the ship did have curves to its shape so maybe that was why. Eventually the came to a set of doors with a man waiting outside, his uniform had red on the shoulders like the Captains’.

“Lieutenant Tom Paris, this is Riku,” she introduced them.

He ignored the way the older man looked him over, eyes locked on the doors keeping him from Sora. If he had to, he’d use his Keyblade to get in there.

“Computer, override the lock on crew quarter 83, authorisation Janeway-Pi-1-1-0,” the Captain said.

“Acknowledged, lock overridden,” a mechanical sounding female voice answered.

The Captain looked at him and then motioned to the door.

“Just take it slow. He seemed to know it was you out there but he was very disorientated. He should either be Regenerating or in Sickbay but wouldn’t go anywhere but here,” Tom warned him. “Also, don’t let him get too worked up, the implants are designed to keep them from feeling extreme emotions, if he starts to then they could react.”

Riku nodded, Sora without the ability to freely feel emotion? How would he handle that if, no when, he really did remember? He stepped forward and the door opened, allowing him inside. The only light came from a long window, showing the light of distant stars. It didn’t bother him, he’d spent enough time in Darkness that his eyes could adapt and quickly. He glanced around and didn’t see…no, there. Squished into the corner, curled up tight, and his heart lurched in his chest at seeing Sora like that.

“Sora?” he called softly.

Even half hidden by a chair, Riku could see Sora stiffen in reaction, obviously he hadn’t expected him to be the one who had come in.

“It’s me, Riku. Do…do you remember me?”

“Leave,” his voice was so soft that Riku barely heard him, and he ignored the order, moving further into the room.

“No, I didn’t come all this way to leave now. They told me what happened to you.”

“Did they?” Sora’s voice was wrong, flat and cold, lifeless. He hadn’t sounded like that in the dream, but was that because of his own expectations and memories affecting things? “Sora is dead, all that is left is a mechanical monster.”

“I don’t believe you,” he denied. “I know you, I can feel your heart. I know you’re scared.”

“Emotion is irrelevant.”

“Sora…” he rounded the chair and stared at Sora, but he couldn’t see much with how he was huddled. Had he done that purposely to hide whatever remained of what the...implants? He knelt down, trying to see, but Sora kept his head down. “A monster wouldn’t hide,” he pointed out. “Let me see you, please.”

He’d seen the images of drones, had seen Sora in the same form, but he could see his hair, see tight cloth rather than strange armour. Whatever was left, he could handle it, he had to, he would not flinch from Sora. Sora had never flinched from him, even at his Darkest.

“You do not want to see,” Sora answered in that same flat tone.

“Yes I do,” Riku told him firmly.

Sora shifted slightly and Riku took the chance of reaching out, his fingers lightly touching Sora’s shin. The fabric felt strange under his hand and he wished he’d taken his gloves off so he had more to work with than just his fingers. He felt Sora go rigid so he slowly flattened his hand out over his lower leg. He didn’t think there was any metal under there.

“I’m not afraid of you, I could never be scared of you,” he swore. He had been scared for Sora, not of him, in the Nightmare.

“Computer, lights,” Sora finally spoke after several minutes of them just sitting there.

Riku winced as the room was flooded with light, half blinding him. He covered his eyes, briefly wishing for his old blindfold. He blinked to force his eyes to adjust quicker and then lowered his hand. “A warning would be nice next time.” He stared at brown spikes, getting a better look at the dark coloured material covering Sora’s body, matching boots on his feet. Was that an odd glove on one hand? “Well, I’m not sure what I think of the local fashion,” he teased.

He felt lost, unsure how to reach Sora when Sora wasn’t trying to reach back. For once their roles were reversed, Sora trying to be the noble self-sacrificing idiot like he had that year he had watched Sora from a distance.

“I still don’t see a Monster,” he pointed out.

Slowly, Sora lifted his head. He had changed, but that was expected, they’d still been kids the last time he saw him and now they were adults…no, Sora was almost two years younger than him now from what Sora had told him before, not that it mattered to him. His eyes were still a stunning shade of blue, but one had metal in the skin above it and as he straightened, Riku saw the metal in his neck as well.

_TBC…_


	11. ch11

He didn’t want Riku to see him, to see what he had become. But maybe if he did, he’d understand and leave, go back to…to Kairi and forget about him. They may have given him the basics on the Borg, but he doubted they’d told him everything. Surely once he knew what Sora had done he’d understand. Maybe…maybe he would even end him, summon his…what was it called….the weird blade and do the right thing.

Riku claimed he could feel his heart but he had to be wrong, if he still had one then it was Dark and shrivelled, like…that weird old man they’d been fighting. He deserved anything Riku chose to do. If he’d known how painful memories were, he would never have wished to have them back.

He found himself staring at Riku, seeing how he’d changed, matured. From everything he had seen and the data the Collective had, he would be considered handsome by other humans. He wanted to reach out and touch his hair, his face, anything to prove he was real but he didn’t dare.

And then Riku smiled softly, the smile only used for him and Kairi ever since they’d been little. He still didn’t see then. Sora took a slow breath and stood up, undoing the seals of the suit and shoving it off his upper body, revealing more implants and scars. The Doctor had left none with his surgery, but the Borg hadn’t cared about causing them in the first place, and they were too old for the Doctor to repair without replacing massive areas of his skin. 

He heard Riku’s breath hitch and though it hurt, it was also a relief, he understood now. So when Riku stood and ripped his gloves off he was confused. But then warm hands were gently cupping his face, Riku staring down at him, still taller than him. There was no hate or fear only…grief?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku watched Sora stand with a fluid grace he’d never had as a teen, and then he was bare to the waist and Riku felt his breath hitch as he took in the mass of scars as well as the implants he could see, and what he assumed were ones under the skin that caused it to distort, odd bumps here and there. He felt sick seeing all of the damage done to Sora and he doubted those who had done it had cared if he was awake or in pain when it was done. Which explained the last things he had felt before their link had been severed.

Riku scrambled back to his feet, ripping his gloves off, reaching out to cup Sora’s face in his bare hands, feeling the warmth of life in his skin, although cooler than he remembered. Sora had always been so warm, another side effect of what he’d gone through?

“I’m not scared of you Sora, you can’t push me away,” he told him, leaning forward, resting his forehead on Sora’s, hearing his breathing hitch this time. He lowered one hand, skimming over Sora’s bare chest, feeling the hard ridges of scars and then cold metal from an implant. He’d put on a little height, his shoulders a bit broader, body slim but muscular, more so than the last time he’d seen him.

Sora lifted his hand and Riku realised it wasn’t a glove, his hand was reinforced with metal…two thin tubes suddenly emerging from his wrist, hovering above Riku’s neck, but he refused to flinch, he knew Sora was testing him, the blue eyes staring up at him were ice cold but he could feel Sora’s pain. He had the feeling if those tubes pierced his skin then he would be in serious trouble, but Sora would never hurt him. They stayed like that for an eternity before the tubes vanished back into Sora’s body and he stumbled forward, Riku catching him easily.

“It’s okay Sora, I’m here, I’ve got you,” he promised, one hand running through wild hair, the other firmly locked around his waist in support.

Sora shook his head but didn’t try to get free. “You have to leave me behind. I am not...I can’t... The things I have done…”

“That Doctor, he said that they took control of your mind Sora, none of that was you. Just like Terra isn’t to blame for what Xehanort did in his body. Do you remember that? He’s a Master now, he had trouble dealing with what had happened…like I did after Ansem.” He pressed his face against Sora’s hair, breathing deep. He smelt different but still like Sora too. “I’ve missed you so much,” he choked out, somehow managing to tighten his hold on Sora.

“Riku…”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Why couldn’t he see the truth? He hadn’t so much as flinched from his Assimilation tubules even though he had to have sensed the danger. How could he trust him so much after so many years? He rested his head against Riku’s shoulder, forcing himself not to pull away. It was so different to the occasional touch from…were they his friends? He thought they were, maybe. But the occasional touch to the arm was very different to being held. Tom had held him though, it had been comforting, but different to how Riku holding him felt. Part of it made his skin crawl, unused to it, but the part of him that used to love touch, the human him, wanted it to never end.

Hearing Riku choke, feeling his grip tighten, he wanted to scream, he never wanted his Riku to be hurt, he did not understand why but he just knew. He could almost feel the implants trying to smother the emotion, closing his eyes. “Riku…” Slowly he brought his arms up to wrap around Riku, being careful not to hold on too tightly. Hugging…they were hugging.

His head was pounding, he knew he had to Regenerate but found he did not wish to, what if he was hallucinating Riku’s presence?

“You’re shaking,” Riku murmured, leaning back a little, nudging Sora’s head up. “Have you slept at all since the last time I saw you? No, don’t answer that, it’s pretty obvious,” Riku shook his head. “Where do you sleep or…Regenerate?” Even as he was asking he moved so that he was supporting him in a way that would also let them walk.

“Cargo bay,” he answered, finding he was letting Riku take his weight, but not all of it, he knew he was heavier than normal for someone his size.

“Alright.”

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tom straightened as the door opened, he’d been going crazy waiting for word, praying the kids friend wouldn’t turn him away…so seeing the silver haired guy supporting Sora as they walked had to be good, right? “Regeneration alcove, now,” he ordered, and Sora nodded.

“Directions?” Riku asked, and Tom waved them to follow.

“Captain had to get back to the bridge,” he told them as they walked, moving to Sora’s other side in case he collapsed. “So, you’re Riku. Known the kid long?”

The silver haired young man glanced at him over Sora’s head, cyan eyes calm but there was something about him that had Tom’s instincts telling him he was not someone he wanted as an enemy. “All our lives.”

Tom grinned. “So you know allll the embarrassing stories then?”

Riku smirked. “Maybe,” he taunted. He glanced down at Sora, expression softening, ah, so that’s how it was. Tom hid a wince, that was not going to be easy with Sora’s lack of memory and struggle with emotions.

When Sora stumbled, Tom took his other side as they got in the turbolift. “Easy Sora, let’s get you to your alcove. You’re getting a double cycle, Doctor’s orders,” Tom told him, and Sora just nodded. Maybe he should have called for a site to site transport, but the Captain wanted them offline until they went over what alterations Sora had made. “Almost there,” he told them both as the doors opened.

They walked down the hall and the cargo bay doors opened, Tom seeing Riku glance around curiously. Tom got them over to the alcoves, Riku obviously noticing the difference between them and everything.

“The one on the end,” Tom told him. “Hold him up while I activate the cycle.”

“No bed?” Riku asked, supporting the exhausted Sora against the inside of the alcove.

“Borg drones don’t actually sleep,” Tom explained, setting the cycle to be a double. “Ready?” he asked, glancing at Sora.

“Affirmative,” he mumbled, and Tom chuckled, but activated it.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku supported Sora in standing against the strange wall, his head resting on a circle. As soon as Sora answered the older man, the circle lit up and Riku found he was no longer supporting Sora, even as his eyes slipped shut.

“And he’s out for the next ten hours.”

Riku stepped back, it was strange seeing Sora standing utterly still, almost rigid. Sora was always in motion, used to drive their teachers insane at school. “Sora’s never so still,” he whispered.

“Really?” the Lieutenant asked, and Riku nodded. “Guess that’s a change from being a drone, Seven’s the same.”

“Seven?” Riku asked, not taking his eyes off Sora. He’d barely been able to stand so how was he staying upright?

“The other ex-Borg on board. She was the first, she found Sora on the downed Cube.”

“So he’s had someone who knows what he’s going through to help, that’s good.”

“Well, their circumstances are very different, Seven was a child when Assimilated and she was a full part of the Collective when we met, she didn’t want to be freed. Sora was older, if amnesiac, and he asked for help in getting free,” he explained. “So, we’ve got ten hours till he wakes, although he can snap out of it earlier if he needs to, it doesn’t keep him locked in or anything.”

“Can he hear us?” Riku asked, reaching out but then stopping himself from touching him.

“From what I understand, if he tries then yes. Are you going to do whatever it is to join him?”

Riku looked at the older man, seeing curiosity and…..yeah, that was Sora, even without his memories or anything he had people ready to fight for him. “No,” he shook his head. “He needs rest. Unless I sense him having a Nightmare then I’ll stay out.”

“You can sense what he’s dreaming?”

“I can feel his emotions, most of the time I have to concentrate to do it, and distance makes it harder. When he was….Assimilate, it knocked me out,” he admitted. “That was a relief. I couldn’t reach or do anything and then the link just broke.”

“Alright, Captain’s offered you a guest cabin if you want.”

“Yeah, I could probably use some sleep myself,” he admitted.

“This way,” Paris motioned.

“I’ll be here when you wake up Sora,” he promised softly before turning to follow him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“How is our guest Mr Paris?” The Captain asked as he returned to his station.

“Settled into guest quarters Captain. “Had to show him how to use everything but he looked pretty tired. Sora’s settled into a double Regeneration cycle,” he quickly explained, glancing at Seven who nodded.

“Very well, let’s get under way. I want to get further away from the Hirogen.”

Tom nodded, getting them back on course for home.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Seven entered the cargo bay, relieved to see Sora in his alcove. He looked completely at peace and not about to collapse like he had on the bridge. He’d been Regenerating for four hours and he was already looking considerable improved, all he would need was a large meal or two once he woke. She had wanted to be there for his reunion with his friend but had been needed in the repair teams. The holographic army had done considerable damage in the short time they had been free to roam the ship. Not to mention the lingering damage from when the Hirogen had attacked and boarded them. She stepped into her own alcove and activated the cycle, choosing one longer than normal, obviously her needs had been seen to somehow while a captive but she was feeling more worn than normal.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Riku sat up in the bed and stretched, looking around before remembering where he was. He got out of the odd yet comfortable bed, looking out at the passing stars for a moment before going to where he’d left his clothes, digging through his magical pockets for his Gummiphone. He held it, considering, and then went to his contacts for Kairi’s…but then hit Terra’s instead. he hadn’t called anyone since abandoning the ship and he didn’t even know if there was a range limit on the phones.

_“Riku?”_ he found Terra’s face staring at him much to his relief.

“Are you alone?” he asked and Terra frowned, saying something to someone out of range before moving away. He heard a door close and then Terra nodded. “I found him, I found Sora.”

Terra blinked before smiling. “That’s,” he frowned. “Wait, why call me and ask me to be alone?”

“Because…” Riku ran a hand through his hair. “Because the two of us and maybe Isa are the ones you can understand.”

Terra was not an idiot. _“He was possessed?”_ he asked, eyes narrowed. _“Are you alright?”_

“I’m fine and it wasn’t possession exactly, more mind control. And unlike us, he’s stuck dealing with physical consequences for life. They…altered him, they alter everyone.” Riku collapsed down on the couch, staring out at the stars again. “The crew of the spaceship we’re on saved him, they found him as the only survivor of a crash and took the chance to help him. His memory is still a mess but he seems to know me now, more than he did in the dreams,” he sighed, pausing for a moment.

_“Remembering you is a good start,”_ Terra offered. _“Riku, what do you mean by altered?_ ”

“Know what a cyborg is?” he asked, and Terra shook his head. “The race that found Sora were cybernetic, that’s where you mix technology and organic life. He has implants in his body, massive scarring…as long as he’s fully covered a lot is hidden but it’s enough that to maintain World Order…” he closed his eyes, swallowing hard.

_“He can’t go home,”_ Terra finished, and Riku nodded.

“There are ones in his head, to limit his emotions. He’s having to re-learn so much because of his memory.”

_“How did they erase it?”_

“According to the Doctor here, they didn’t. They usually take anything useful and share it among themselves but Sora had nothing. The locals think it was because he was near death when found, in a crater, like he hit the ground really hard. I think maybe…I think Sora did it to himself,” Riku admitted.

_“Why?”_

“Because the link didn’t break until he was being Assimilated. I think he realised what they were doing and…”

_“Took everything that made him Sora and hid it where no one could reach, including himself?”_

“Yeah.”

_“It could be possible,”_ Terra admitted. _“What is he like now?”_

“Hard to tell when he was utterly exhausted, the ship was boarded and he’s spent the last week at least with basically no sleep or food trying to save everyone.”

_“So still the same Sora, killing himself to save others.”_

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “He…he’d locked himself in his room, was curled in the corner with the lights off. Tried to get me to leave, to believe he’s not Sora, just a mechanical monster,” Riku sighed. “From what the people here told me about the Borg, I can take some guesses as to why he was doing that…what he did when under their control.”

_“Xehanort levels?”_ Terra asked quietly.

“The subjection and forced assimilation of entire planets in a crazy search for ‘perfection’. Apparently they are pretty much the most feared enemy wherever they are found.”

_“Where are you?”_ Terra asked. _“I’ve never heard of anything like that.”_

“Apparently somewhere called the Delta Quadrant. The ship, what I’ve seen is amazing but I’ve seen and sensed no sign of magic, or Heartless, nothing.”

_“Do you think they’ll let him leave with you?”_

“I don’t get the feeling they want to keep him against his will, more that he’s become a part of the crew. They’re protective of him.”

_“Sounds like everything you’ve told me about Sora, so it seems that at his core, the Sora you know definitely still exists. You told Kairi?”_

“Not yet.”

_“Bring him here. Ventus’ presence might help and, well, the two of us know all about guilt,”_ Terra told him.

“Thanks, I will. No way could Sora deal with Master Yen Sid. And the science group at Radiant Garden, well…” he shrugged and Terra chuckled. “Not sure what other Worlds he’ll be able to go to.”

_“Just don’t neglect yourself in looking after Sora,”_ Terra warned.

“I just had a six hour nap, I’ll be fine.” He hung up and then ran through some exercises before grabbing his clothes, heading in to shower and clean up.

It was…weird to shower but have no water, it didn’t feel as clean to him. Once done he went to the panel Paris had shown him and tapped the square he’d been told to. Someone should come since he wasn’t welcome to just wander, and not because he’d get lost. He understood, he was a stranger even if Sora did remember him, they had no reason to trust him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sora blinked as his Regeneration cycle ended, he felt a lot better. He knew he’d been through a double length cycle but he had needed it. Of course, Riku was not there, he had known it was a hallucination due to his…the cargo bay doors opened and Sora stared as Riku walked in with a security officer. He was real?

Riku saw him and smiled. “You look a lot better, how do you feel?” he asked, walking towards him without any hesitance. How, why, was he dreaming? “Sora?” Riku’s smile faded. He stepped up onto the platform the alcoves were set into. “Hey, you okay?” he asked, lifting his hand and Sora watched the limb, feeling warm skin rest against his cheek, Riku’s gloves missing.

“This is not a dream?” he asked, and Riku shook his head.

“You’re awake and I’m here,” Riku promised.

Sora glanced to the side, seeing Seven in her own alcove, looked at the ensign who was leaving the room. He looked back at Riku, taking him in. He looked different to in the dream, older, and the clothing was different too.

“You came, why?” He didn’t understand. He had told Riku not to come.

“Of course I came.” He leant in, pressing their foreheads together like he did in the dream, as if the optical implant didn’t bother him at all. Interesting, his gloves were gone but there was still material around one wrist. Riku followed his gaze. “It aches but it’s okay. Roxas did a good job on it when we fought, there’s nothing anyone back home can do but the Doctor here, he said he can fix it. Replace the bones?”

Sora nodded and lifted his own arm. “He replaced the mechanical arm the Borg gave me. There was no pain when I woke.”

Riku looked at him for permission and then took his hand, examining his arm. “There’s no scarring, nothing. It feels like flesh and blood.”

“Federation medical technology includes artificial and limited cloning. The skin was grown from my own DNA, the bones are artificial. All of the scars are from the Borg, not the Doctor.”

He reached out in return and Riku let him take his left hand, examining the wrist, feeling the slight distortion under the skin from where the break obviously hadn’t healed right. Riku was right handed, he remembered that, seeing him fight….he moved his hand from Riku’s arm to his side and hip.

“That man…he hit you here, because you protected me.”

“Yeah, it was worth it and I’d do it again,” Riku told him.

“Does it still hurt?”

“Sometimes, but your Doctor didn’t seem to pick up anything fixable or he didn’t mention it.”

“He would have said,” Sora assured him. He went to step down from his alcove and Riku stepped back to give him room. “I need to eat,” he stated, and Riku nodded.

“Lead the way.”

They left the cargo bay and Sora was surprised to find the security officer was gone. He was truly that trusted now? He led him to the turbolift which they had to themselves. Should he say something? Was he meant to talk? About what? He had not worked it out by the time they reached the mess hall, leading Riku in, the room going quiet in curiosity, but Riku didn’t react.

“Ah, good evening Sora. I hope you’re feeling better,” Neelix greeted with a smile.

“I am, thank you. Neelix, this is Riku. Riku, this is Neelix, chief chef and moral officer,” Sora introduced them as he had been taught, although he wasn’t sure if Riku had a title of any kind. He thought maybe he did, but he was not sure.

“A pleasure to meet you Riku,” Neelix offered and Riku nodded.

“Likewise.”

They were soon seated at a table, Riku examining the food curiously.

“Is the food very different?” he asked, and Riku looked up at him.

“Some of it is. Living on an Island, there isn’t a lot of variety.”

“The whole planet is only Islands?” he asked because he barely remembered anything except that small island where they played.

Riku began telling him about their home as they ate and Sora listened intently, hoping it would help spark more memories.

_TBC…_

_Notice a slight shift in Sora’s language use?_

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea why finally getting around to watching Star Trek Discovery had me thinking of the Borg but then later playing KH3 had this idea popping into my head. Wouldn't leave me alone so I wrote it down.


End file.
